


The Best In You

by colormyheartred



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Captain Charming - Freeform, F/M, Fluff, One Shot Collection, daddy killian, mommy emma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-07
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-08-13 19:04:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 39
Words: 33,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7982761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/colormyheartred/pseuds/colormyheartred
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of Captain Swan oneshots, ranging from modern au to daddy!killian/mommy!emma.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. what a privilege to love you

**what a privilege to love you**  

It’s cold.

Her toes are practically frozen icicles even under the cover of a few blankets and a thick comforter, and the last thing Emma wants to do is get up, despite the little voice that crackles through the monitor on her nightstand.

She groans into her pillow, rubbing her feet against the mattress for heat generated from friction, ultimately finding a set of warm legs beside her that she can stuff them between.

He grunts unhappily. “You’re freezing.”

“You’re warm,” she retorts, mumbling into her pillow.

Her pirate sighs, taking an arm and using it to pull her closer to him. She buries her face in his chest, finally feeling _warm_ again. She doubts she’ll ever tire of the feeling of being held in his arms.

They rest for a few moments in relative silence, the exception being the babbling little girl in the monitor.

“She wants you,” Killian informs her.

Emma huffs unhappily. “I’m sleeping.”

He chuckles, deep and sleepy. “Oh, I see.” He drops a kiss to her forehead before he leaves her and she makes a discontented noise, opening her eyes to see him sliding out of bed. “I’ll be back with a bundle of hugs and messy kisses.”

She smiles despite her desperate need to just sleep for a little while longer and closes her eyes, tugging the blankets higher to get warmer.

It feel as if only a second passes when she’s greeted by happy giggles ringing in her ears, and she peels her eyes open to look. Killian sits down on his side of the bed, their little daughter in his hold, his lips upon her cheek as she laughs so contentedly.

“Here’s mummy, little love,” Killian says, settling her down on the bed beside Emma.

Emma reaches out to put her hand on her sweet daughter’s side, her own face lighting up in kind. “Hi,”

Her daughter smiles at her and Emma glances up to meet Killian’s affectionate gaze. It’s been over a year since they had their little girl and he still stares at them like he can’t believe it.

“I’ll go make some cocoa to warm you up, love.”

Emma hums in thanks, unable to wipe the smile from her lips because of the precious girl lying beside her.

“Are you cold?” Emma asks. She moves closer to her daughter, who eagerly wraps her little arms around her neck and wiggles in close so that Emma has no choice but to laugh when she puts her mouth over her nose. “What are you doing? Are you being silly like Daddy?”

“Oi! I’m not _silly_!” Killian’s voice comes from the doorway. Emma turns just enough that her daughter releases her, and Killian just shakes his head, moving toward them with a smirk on his lips. He leans over Emma and makes a face at their daughter. “I’m absolutely _not_ silly.”

Emma laughs and reaches up to pat his stubbled cheek. “What happened to getting cocoa?”

“I-” he pauses, struggling for words. He goes to the foot of the bed and crawls across to lie behind their daughter, turned toward them. “I _was_ going to get you cocoa but then I thought better of it. We’re overdue for a trip to town, aren’t we?”

Emma sighs, thinking of her parents and how they’d just asked to see them. It’s too early in the day to think about family get-togethers, despite how wonderful and entertaining they are. “Yeah. I guess so.”

“Besides,” he says lowly, a tiny smile on his face, “you’re _cold_ and there’s only one way to warm you up properly.”

She arches an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

Killian wraps his arm around the two of them, his feet bumping against the icicles attached to her legs as his nose nuzzles against hers. Her heart stutters just a fraction and she hums as her eyes slide shut contentedly.

Their quiet bubble of warmth doesn’t last very long. Their daughter begins to get wiggly and complains with a whine.

“Granny’s?”

“Granny’s.”

..

Killian prepares the baby to go while Emma changes into something that will keep her warm. His daughter grins up at him with her sweet eyes shimmering up at him. He can’t help but kiss her cheek as soon as he settles the hat Granny had knitted for the wee lass back when he and Emma announced her pregnancy a little over two years ago.

He chuckles as he settles her on his hip and she eagerly clings to him, her arms wrapped snugly around his neck.

“Ready to go, love?” Killian calls over his shoulder, taking the baby bag from the unmade bed.

“Yeah!” Emma calls back, stepping out of the bathroom with her fingers still working nimbly on the buttons of her sweater.

She’s so beautiful, his Swan, and he tells her just that.

Emma tilts her head at him. “I’m a hot mess right now and in about twenty minutes I’ll probably have food on my shirt.”

Killian gives his head a shake and holds her arm while he kisses her forehead. “You’re always beautiful to me, sweetheart.”

She smiles at him weakly, apparently not used to the compliment. “I’ll take her if you want?”

He attempts to turn his head to look at the girl on his hip, but she nuzzles closer, making him laugh. “I don’t think she wants to go.”

Emma hums. “I get it.” She moves to look their daughter in the eye, shifting the hat atop her head. “Daddy’s _really_ warm, isn’t he?”

Killian smirks, lifting his eyebrows at her. She rolls her eyes and kisses him chastely. “Come on, let’s go. I’m hungry.”


	2. you bested me

**you bested me**

Standing in the kitchen, Emma has a hundred things on her mind that she has planned to get done, _hopefully_.

Summer in Storybrooke is delightfully warm and for once, her kids are getting along enough to play outside together.

For now, at least, she doesn’t have them running around the house playing tag or arguing about stupid things like who had the remote and what show they should watch.

Killian is standing beside her, taking the dishes from her as she hands them his way and sticking them where they belong after drying them off.

“Do you think we should take advantage of this quiet respite?” Killian asks, his hip bumping hers.

She looks at him and rolls her eyes, smiling a little. “As much as I’d like to take a nap with you, I have laundry to do and you said you were going to fix the kids’ bookshelf.”

Her husband takes a glass from her when she offers it to him, turned to study him. He leans forward to capture her lips briefly, much to her delight, and a smile curves on her lips.

“Promise me later we’ll have some time to ourselves. I feel as if I haven’t had a minute to myself with you in weeks.”

Emma licks her lips and hums. “I’ll think about it. Especially if you fix that bookshelf.”

Her pirate chuckles and she laughs to herself, glancing out the window and into the backyard where her kids are playing. Her eyes narrow as she stares and her heart drops when she realizes what’s happening.

“Mommy! Mommy, help!”

Her son is tied to the tree and her daughter is standing a short distance from him, a devilish smirk on her lips Emma knows all too well while she holds a play sword out toward the little boy.

With a sigh, she turns off the water and grabs a dishtowel to dry her hands before tossing it on the kitchen island.

“What’s happened?” Killian asks.

Emma doesn’t respond, too caught up in her frustration at her daughter to say anything, especially after the conversation she’d just had with her this morning about leaving her little brother alone.

Stepping out into the warm summer air, Emma moves with purpose toward the heavy tree in their backyard, where the little boy is struggling against the ropes that have him bound.

“Mommy!” He’s crying, big fat tears that have his sweet cheeks red and his voice wavering. “Mommy, I’m stuck!”

Emma looks over at her daughter and she knows better than to run, but she’s still smirking, obviously pleased with herself.

“We’re playing _pirates_ ,” she explains, as if it makes all of this better, that the five year old has tied the three year old to the tree.

She shakes her head. “Not okay! You can’t just tie your brother to the tree! He’s three years old!”

Suddenly, she hears laughter, deep, bellowing laughter, from the porch behind them. She turns to see her husband standing there, his laughter a fierce song, and she shakes her head, widening her eyes at him.

He doesn’t stop laughing, even as he comes toward her. By then, their daughter has started laughing too, and her little boy is whining uncomfortably, wiggling around as if it’ll help.

Killian shakes his head, laughing still. “Well, isn’t this just a bit of déjà vu?”

She gives him a hard look. “I don’t think this is- stop laughing! You’re going to make her think it’s okay to keep doing this.”

Killian has tears in his eyes, he’s laughing so hard, and he clears his throat, nodding as he does stop laughing, at least enough to seem slightly serious.

“Right, no, your mum is right,” he bobs his head. “Don’t tie anyone up, Sweetheart. It isn’t good form.”

“But-“ their daughter argues, “-last night, Daddy told us the story of how you met and he said _you_ tied him to a tree because he was a _pirate_.”

“Still am,” Killian announces, kneeling down beside their little boy to loosen the knots of the rope.

Liam’s still crying and Emma sighs. “Okay, when I met Daddy, it was different than playing in the backyard. I tied him to a tree because I had no other choice.”

“Because he’s a pirate.”

“ _No_!” Emma insists, her face reddening. “Just-“ Emma stops herself and clenches her hands into fists briefly. “Don’t tie your brother to a tree. You can play pirates, but don’t tie him to a tree.”

She turns her attention to Liam in time to see the ropes fall to the ground and he immediately charges up to her, wrapping his little arms around her legs.

Emma’s heart squeezes tight as she leans down to be at his level, meeting his soft baby blue eyes. “You okay, Buddy?”

Her fingers wipe at his cheeks and he sniffles as he nods.

Emma glances up to find her husband tilting his head at her. “Oh, come now, my love, it isn’t that big of a deal. I survived, didn’t I?”

She rises to her feet and gives him a look. “He’s three. How old were you again? Five hundred and six?”

“Ha ha,” he says. “Very funny. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t pick on my age in front of my children.”

Emma hums. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell them stories about how I tied you to a tree when I met you.”

“It still stands that you could use to lighten up a bit, darling. This isn’t the end of the world.”

She takes a few steps closer to him and bends down to grab the rope from the ground, smiling softly at him.

“Be careful what you wish for.”

He barely has time to quirk an eyebrow when she forces him against the tree and starts spinning the rope around the tree, with him tied down against it.

“Swan!” he shouts. “Bloody hell!”

Emma laughs, giving him a teasing look. “Watch your mouth. There are little ears present.”

Both of their children are eager to help and she tosses Killian winks as she comes back around to his side of the tree with them, but he just sighs, throwing his head back in defeat.

“You bested me,” he says as soon as she finishes tying off the rope.

Their kids are both giggling and she wears a permanent smirk on her lips.

“Now,” she says, taking the play sword from her daughter. She points the sword at her husband, who now grins right at her. “What should we do with you now that we have you tied up? It’s not everyday that the notorious Captain Hook is captured.”

“We should tickle him!” their daughter all but screams.

Emma laughs, looking over at the two bouncing children. Liam seems especially delighted, his laughter bubbling and his hands clapping together excitedly.

“Okay,” Emma tells them. “Do your _worst_.”

She takes a broad step back and watches as Killian plays the dramatic victim of a tickle attack, his face scrunched up in agony as laughter fills the yard.

When he suddenly breaks free from the ropes, even Emma is surprised. Their daughter screams as she runs away from her father and Liam starts running around the tree in circles, but Killian goes straight for Emma and she gapes at him, smiling.

“What are you doing?” she asks, stepping back.

He lifts his eyebrows. “I do believe you ordered a tickle attack on me, Swan. This merits a counter attack.”

She laughs when he reaches his hand out to pinch at her side and then she takes off running, glancing behind her to find that Killian is chasing her.

They end up being tackled from behind, their daughter bringing Killian down first, then Emma by consequence of Killian’s hand on her hip, and Liam just joins them, adding his weight to Killian’s torso with a dramatic _oof_.

This is a moment, as they’re lying in the grass, a bundle of giggles and tangled limbs under the warmth of the sun, that Emma has always wanted and wondered about.

Having a family of her own comes to her in waves, a reminder that she’s not alone anymore, and this _here_ reminds her that she is definitely the luckiest person in the world.

Their children bounce up a few moments later, leaving she and Killian to themselves, and Emma snuggles close to her husband so she can press a kiss to the underside of his jaw.

“Can we have our nap now?” he asks breathlessly.

Emma laughs and presses her hand to his chest. “Not so fast, Killian. We still have lots of work to do.”

“Don’t make me tie you to the tree until you succumb to my demands, Swan, because I _will_ do it.”

She laughs again and places her chin on his collarbone to look up at him. His hand presses against her back, warm and familiar.

“I don’t know…”

He suddenly moves, sitting before he stands, yanking her up by her hand. He bends before she can say anything and then she’s in his arms, scrambling to hold onto his neck.

“I’ve carried rum barrels heavier than you, love,” he reminds her. “Off to bed for us.”

She rolls her eyes, but lets him have his way, ending up in their bed with two little bodies between them by the time she opens her eyes to meet his on the other side of her nap.

“I love you,” she tells him.

He squints his eyes and releases a heavy sigh, his smile sweet and tired. “I love you too, Swan.”


	3. happy wedding to you!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "Could you write a little drunk captain charming being total dorks?"

**happy wedding to you!**

“Happy wedding to you, sir!“ 

"Oh, thank you, sir!”

“No, thank _you_ , sir!”

This has been going on for twenty minutes, between bouts of laughter and breaking out into song, and Emma isn’t sure why she’s still watching it. 

Maybe one thing is certain. Her pirate and her father sitting together drinking was probably a bad idea during she and Killian’s engagement party. 

Her father claps Killian on the shoulder and laughs. “I can’t believe you’re going to be my son-in-law!”

Killian laughs in response. His cheeks are pink and he’s not as far gone as her father is, but it’s clear he’s had just enough too much to drink. And add to that the party atmosphere in the room, along with some previous tension between the two, and you have… _this_. Whatever it is. 

"But, you’ll still be my mate, right?” David asks, slurring a bit after he downs the rest of his drink. 

Emma shakes her head, her eyes wide, unable to rip them away from watching at a table with her mother and Regina. 

“What are they _doing_?” Mary Margaret asks through a giggle.

Emma gives her mother a look of exasperation. ”Trust me, if I had an idea, I would let you in on the secret.”

Now her father is singing with Killian, their arms around each other’s shoulders while they sway and make up words.

"Oh, God, if I knew your engagement party would be so uncomfortable I wouldn’t have showed up.” Regina says, shielding her face away from the two men. 

“Neither would I.” Emma agrees. 

“Who knew David would drink so much?” Mary Margaret bemuses, clearly lost to the situation playing out across the room. 

“Who knew _Killian_ would?”

Now the two are laughing and David has Killian’s shoulder under his palm. “I’m serious. I’m happy- _so happy_ \- for you and Emma.” Her father raises his new glass. “Happy wedding to you!”

"Happy wedding to me!” Hook cheers, grabbing his mug and having another drink with her father. The pirate looks over at her and grins, his eyes big and bright. “Swan! We’re getting married!”

She smiles and nods. “I know! I was there.”

Hook laughs triumphantly and turns back to her father. “I love her so much.”

“I love her so much, too." 

Emma rolls her eyes and face palms, covering her face with her hands as she leans her elbows on the table. 

"We’re having a dry wedding.”

“No, we’re not letting them drink together again.” Mary Margaret agrees. 

When Emma looks up again, her father is hugging Killian with tears in his eyes. 

Emma groans and hits her head against the table. Never again.


	4. nicknames

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "what about emma nicknaming killian?"

**nicknames**

It starts out innocently enough.

She drops a word in exchange for his name at the end of a sentence thoughtlessly, “Could you grab me a grilled cheese for lunch later, babe?”

He nods without any thought, leaning in to kiss her before she has to go into the station for the day.

As time moves forward, he notices it a lot more frequently. She doesn’t say his name, or his more colorful moniker. She sticks to sweet little names that usually have no prompting from him whatsoever.

Sometimes it’s, “Hey good looking.”

Or sometimes, “What are you thinking about, sailor?”

He doesn’t know where the nicknames have come from, but he likes them. He likes that she’s free to express her comfort with him through them.

“Hey handsome,” she greets him one afternoon. He smiles at the endearment, crossing the room to set his hand and hook on her hips. “I missed you today.”

“Did you?” he teases, dropping a kiss to the tip of her nose. He meets her lips shortly after. “I quite missed you as well.”

She hums as he moves his lips down along her jaw, nuzzling at her neck. “Slow down, pirate. We’ve got all night. And I’m hungry. Weren’t you taking me out tonight?”

He sighs into her skin, so warm and sweet, and moves up to meet her happy gaze. “Perhaps we should stay _in_.”

She laughs. “You’re acting like you haven’t seen me in a week.”

“It feels like it.” He insists, eyes wide. She laughs again and it is music to his ears.

“We’ve been texting all day, babe.” Her hands slide against his chest and rest above his heart. Her eyes search his. “What’s going on?”

He shakes his head. “Nothing, love. I just missed you.”

Emma smiles softly. “Me too.”

They end up in bed, a tangled mess of limbs and sheets, and she has her head on his shoulder while her hand plays with his, tracing lines over his fingers and cracks in his skin.

“Where did those nicknames come from?” he asks.

She pauses her ministrations, then cranes her head to look at him. “What nicknames?”

He shakes his head, releasing a sigh. “You know what I mean. You don’t call me by my name so much anymore.”

She smiles a little before dropping a kiss to his chest, her fingers sliding along his. “It’s what people do when they’re in a relationship. They call each other nicknames. You call me ‘love’ or ‘darling’, so… I guess I wanted to reciprocate.”

He lets her words sink in for a moment.

“Do you mind?” she asks, almost timidly.

“What? No. Of _course_ I don’t mind.” He holds her a little closer and kisses the top of her head.

“Good.” Emma says. For a moment, she’s quiet, and then she speaks again, “ _Honey_?”

He rolls his eyes playfully. “Yes, _darling_?”

She props herself up a little so she can smile at him. “Just testing it out.”

He opens his mouth and tilts his head at her, smiling. “I see.”

She’s apparently satisfied, because she cuddles back into him. “I’ve got a lot more where those came from, so get ready, _cowboy_.”

Killian laughs under his breath, threading their fingers together. “I’m looking forward to it.”


	5. stars lean in a little closer (all because of you)

**stars lean in a little closer (all because of you)**

She has stars in her eyes and the sea in her blood.

Her mind is always elsewhere, far and away from here, and she has a quiet nature about her.

She silently curls up in the window seat in the front of the living room, gazing out at the street. Her toes are covered in mismatched fuzzy socks and her hair is tied into a ponytail after she quietly approached him, simply holding out her elastic before she turned and allowed him to run his fingers through her hair.

Killian knows she gets it from him, her peaceful quietness and sheer brilliance, and it’s why he’s gotten on with her so well from the start of her precious life.

To be clear, she isn’t quiet all of the time.

Sometimes she likes to sing with him and sometimes giggles so loudly that he wonders if the glass in the windows will shatter. Sometimes she gets chatty and won’t stop talking until she falls asleep. Sometimes she gets into arguments with her little brother, or her older brother, and throws a fit, storming off to her bedroom with her arms crossed at the unfairness of it all.

But most days, like today, she keeps her lips pressed together and delicately observes the world around her.

Killian finds himself watching her from the doorway to the living room, leaning against the doorjamb with a tiny smile on his lips. She’s reading a book, or pretending to- it’s upside down.

“Cygnet, would you like to go to visit my ship?” he asks, stepping into the room.

She looks up at him and a soft smile spreads on her face. She doesn’t need to say anything. Her actions speak much louder than words would.

Killian leaves Henry in charge of his youngest sibling, who sleeps soundly in his crib upstairs. Emma will be home soon and it was their agreement that he’d spend a special one-on-one day with their little girl, so that’s what he’s going to do.

The walk to the harbor is nice. There’s a spring breeze and the sun is warm against his skin.

He keeps his attention on the little girl beside him. She chose her outfit by herself- a dress with a floral pattern and striped stockings. She covered her feet with her favorite fuzzy socks, one purple and one green. She wears those black boots he found and had teased she could wear when they go pirating. He’d had to help with the laces and she’d been happy to let him.

Killian can’t help but smile as he watches her walk, keeping her gaze on the sky above her head. She doesn’t watch her step. She would run into bushes and trees if it weren’t for his gentle nudging on her arm, his voice equally as soft.

She smiles at him every time, a little embarrassed look filling her cheeks with a rosy hue as she sighs, “Oh,” and giggles under her breath.

Oh, but he loves his little girl.

When they get to his ship, she gets excited and looks at him through a wide grin. The sea runs through her blood just as much as it does in his, and for that he’ll ever be grateful.

“Would you like to take her for a ride?” he asks.

She gets a look on her face, as if she weren’t expecting them to actually leave the harbor, and he winks at her.

“Just for a bit.”

Killian watches her as he navigates his ship out of it’s dock.

She keeps looking at everything. At the sails, as the wind makes them flap. At the water from her perch on her tiptoes looking over the side railing. At the seagulls in the sky above.

“Cygnet,” he calls, pulling her eyes to him and away from the sky. “C’mere, love. I want to show you something.”

His little girl climbs up the stairs, stomping up onto each with a victorious effort, to meet him. He lifts her into his arms and places his hand on the top spoke of the wheel.

“Would you like to steer?”

His little lass with stars in her eyes opens her mouth and hesitates, but he helps her put her hands on the wheel.

“Now, turn it this way and we’ll start drifting to the right. There we go.”

She gets an excited look on her face and he can’t help but kiss her cheek a few times. “You’re a natural, little love.”

They spend the rest of their day together at sea.

He teaches her about tying rope and about every nuance he can about his ship. She’s particularly interested when he shows her his quarters below deck. She wants to know all about his books and maps and she loves his cot in the corner.

He allows her to sit at his desk, her little feet kicking back and forth as she reaches for his handheld telescope.

He snaps a picture of her closing one eye tight as she searches through it backwards and sends it to Emma before showing her how to properly use it.

He thinks of Liam as he’s showing his little girl around his quarters, about how _proud_ his brother would’ve been to see the young Jones girl wandering around the ship with such curiosity. And it helps him smile when she finds a trunk of Liam’s things in the room, her interest in each item a bittersweet blessing.

He tells her about his elder brother and she listens for a while before she wraps her arms around his neck and hugs him. She doesn’t need to talk when he can hold her and breathe in the smell of her fruity shampoo for a minute.

They share a meal on deck as the sun starts to set and he asks her about her day, like any proper gentleman would on a date.

She just smiles at him and says, “I really like it, Papa.”

“I do too.”

They split chocolate chip cookies and she gets a little sugar rush, asking to sit on his shoulders as the sun fades into the horizon. Killian pretends to lose his balance, while totally maintaining it, and she squeals and smacks at his hair, much to his delight.

When the stars come out, his little wonder-filled princess holds her mouth open and stares up at the sky endlessly until he suggests that they lie out on the blanket to look at them closer.

“Do you know why I call you cygnet?” he asks lowly.

She shakes her head when he looks at her.

“Right there,” he points, tracing a shape in the stars, “is the Cygnus, which means swan.”

“Swan,” she repeats.

He hums. “That’s what I call your mum sometimes.”

His daughter giggles. “Yes you do.”

With a smile on his lips, Killian watches as the little girl studies the stars above.

She points up. “What’s that one?”

“Which one?”

“That one.”

“That one?”

Starting to get frustrated, his daughter giggles and shouts, “That one!”

“ _This_ one?” Killian plays along, pointing at a completely different spot than she is.

She bursts into giggles, rolling into him, and he chuckles, wrapping his arms around her as his lips press into her hair.

She stays at his side and he keeps his arm around her as he tells her more stories about the stars. She tells him stories sometimes and he listens, nodding along with her. He holds her closer when she speaks and when she looks up at him with a wide grin he returns it, reaching in to pinch her sides until she’s breathlessly filled with giggles.

After a while, she falls asleep and Killian can’t help but smile softly as he kisses her forehead and wraps her in the blanket so she won’t get cold on their way back to the dock.

Killian carries his slumbering daughter back home and when they reach the front steps, she stirs against his shoulder, her voice soft in his ear, “Daddy, I love you.”

He shifts her weight on his hip and brushes a kiss to the crown of her head. “I love you too, Sweetheart. Thank you for spending the day with me.”

She hums into his ear.

Killian smiles a little and opens the door. Emma’s in the kitchen with the baby and he receives a warm grin from his wife before he climbs the stairs to the little girl’s bedroom.

He sets her down on her bed and strips her of her pirating boots, then he finds her pajamas and manages to redress her while her eyes open halfway and lazily fall closed again.

After sliding her in under her blankets, he tucks them under her chin, and she opens her eyes again. “Papa can we do it again?”

Killian’s heart feels impossibly full and he presses his hand to the side of her head, stroking his fingers over her hair. “Yes. Of course.”

Her responding smile is enough to make him permanently wish to have days like this everyday.

He steps quietly backward after leaving her a kiss to her forehead and switches on her nightlight that projects stars onto the walls and ceiling.

“Did she have fun?” Emma asks when he enters the kitchen a few minutes later.

He gives his wife a kiss and gently takes his son’s fingers into his palm. “Aye. We had a good day.”

Emma smiles softly. “Good. Maybe next week you can do it again.”

He chuckles, nodding. “She’s already planning for more.”

“Yeah?” Emma laughs. “You must’ve had a lot of fun, then.”

Killian hums. “We did.” He looks at the boy in his wife’s arms and tilts his head at him. “Perhaps when you’re older we’ll go for a day at sea as well.”

When he looks up again, Emma’s admiring him.

She doesn’t need to say anything. When she takes his hand and they head up for bed themselves, her actions speak loud enough for him to feel it in his heart.


	6. you are grace, you are light

**you are grace, you are light**

Killian Jones never thought he would have this. He never thought he would get to settle down and start a family. Surely, when he was younger, he may have fantasized once or twice, but as time swept him up in its grasp, he found the idea of becoming a father something that may never happen for him.

And so, he was never one to bring it up or consider it.

When he and Emma started dating, spending the rest of his life with Emma and Henry became his future.

And when Emma had approached him, her teeth nibbling into her lower lip nervously, her eyes hesitant and yet a resilient and bright shade of green, to tell him the news- _their_ news- his views changed again.

Instead of living for himself, he’s living for a _family_.

His daughter comes into the world on a Tuesday. She’s small, but she’s got quite the set of lungs, and she’s _perfect_. Perfect in every single tangible way.

She has toes and fingers that are _so_ small to the touch. Sometimes he worries that he’ll harm her or break her, but Emma insists that he won’t. Her hair is soft and she has big blue eyes that shine whenever he looks down into them.

She squirms and fidgets and she has little noises she likes to make. Each of them is precious to him and he tries to memorize them, tries to hold tight to these moments because he never wants to let go now that he has her.

He often lies in bed or on the couch with his daughter curled up on his chest. He holds her steady with his palm against her back, reveling in the feeling of this tiny life, breathing and dreaming, still so dependent upon he and Emma for everything in her world.

He kisses the top of her head as she lies there with him, hoping that his wee lass knows that the heart her small ear rests upon is so incredibly full and content with love for her.

Sometimes, he swears it’ll burst.

..

Emma leans on the door frame of their bedroom one lazy morning, watching as Killian holds their daughter so gently against his chest. She adores these moments. Watching him being a father, determined to protect and nurture the baby that’s fast asleep against him, is something that almost always brings tears to her eyes.

To know that he’d once been a pirate sailing the seven seas in search of vengeance makes it even sweeter. He’d changed for her, to have this life, and she doesn’t know if she’ll ever be able to get used to the idea.

She smiles softly at him and he back at her.

“How is she?”

Killian’s thumb swipes a soothing circle on the infant’s back and she shifts just slightly against him, squirming in her sleep.

“A proper princess,” he says lowly.

Emma crosses the bedroom to sit on the bed by his knees, turned so she can gaze down at the sleeping little girl with so much hope and light in her future.

“You’re never going to be able to say no to her.”

Killian smirks. “I’m quite used to that, Swan.” He kisses the baby’s head, breathing her in deep, nuzzling his nose against the soft tuft of hair she has.

Emma’s heart squeezes tight at the sight of her husband’s affections over their little girl.

“I never thought I’d want this, you know.” Killian says suddenly.

Emma tilts her head to the side as she reaches out to touch the baby’s fingers. “Yeah.”

“Now that she’s here, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

She knows what he means. She had been content with her life lived with her pirate and her son before finding out about this little bundle of joy. But having her here has changed _everything_.

Emma meets Killian’s eyes and she smiles lovingly at him. “Me either.”

..

Killian wakes one morning and discovers that Emma is missing from their bed. With one eye open, he checks the alarm clock and then slings his legs over the side of the bed to go search for her.

He hears her before he sees her. Her voice is a soft murmur, and he swears his heart isn’t ready for the sight he stumbles into.

She’s standing in the living room by the front windows that look out on the town and the sun is just starting to rise, casting its warm glow onto the savior as she cradles their daughter close, with one hand on the back of her head and the other snugly pressed against the infant’s bottom.

Emma’s hair is up and she’s still in her nightclothes, a large shirt she’d stolen from his dresser drawer, and she sways a little as she looks away from the sunrise and to the little girl. She kisses the crown of her head a few times and holds her closer toward her chest, shifting on her toes to study the sun again.

He swears he falls in love all over again at the beauty of it all.

She turns then, apparently sensing his presence. A smile fills her lips and she continues to stand there, basking in the warm sunlight, a perfect picture of grace.

“Hi.”

Killian smiles in return as he crosses the room. He stops before her, focusing on his wife with adoration for the woman who has given him a reason to live again, simply for loving him.

“You are so beautiful,” he says softly.

Her cheeks fill with a sweet pink hue and she laughs as if she’s embarrassed, her gaze dropping to the baby in her arms. She kisses the top of the little one’s head and Killian wraps his arms around the two gently, drawing Emma’s chin upwards in curiosity.

He leans forward to kiss her forehead. “I am so in love with you, Emma.”

Her eyelashes flutter against her cheeks and her smile is warm as he pulls away. He lifts his hand away from the small of her back in order to reach up when their daughter makes a noise, taking her fingers gently onto his index.

And it’s perfect, this moment, so perfect it makes his heart ache. There’s nothing he regrets about the life he’s lived, not if it means he can have _this_.

“I love you too.”


	7. you've gone red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "how about emma blushing every single time, like he would compliment her and she's red, and then a little kiss in the cheek and she's flushed and he notices it and finds it adorable and do it more just to make her blush"

**you've gone red**

He notices it the first time it happens and he _loves_  it.

The crimson fills her cheeks and crawls up to her ears, threatening to drop to her neck. She bites at her lip and her eyelids flutter. If he knows any better, he’d say her stomach would be tossing and clenching, almost as his does near every time he looks at her.

So he does it again. And again. And again.

One of the first times, it’s when they’re not entirely _together_ , but they’re not entirely _not_ together. She’s wearing a red ball gown and he’s dressed like royalty, her arm tucked in his as they walk the ballroom at Midas’ castle. And she blushes at his mention of how well she fits the outfit, and again as they’re intimately close, swaying together at her first royal ball.

And it happens again, of course, at the subtle mention of how graceful she is or about how much he approves of what she’s wearing. It particularly happens on their first date, when she’s standing there with her jaw all but on the floor and they’re so fresh and new in this relationship of theirs.

But it doesn’t ever really stop.

It’ll happen when they’re alone in the station and his hand happens to brush against hers while she’s trying to sort papers on her desk. It’ll happen when he kisses her cheek goodbye, or when he whispers her name, and honestly it’s probably his favorite thing about her. Well, maybe not his  _favorite_  thing, but certainly it’s made the list of things he has found about Emma Swan that he adores.

Like the way she looks right now. She’s standing at the filing cabinets, her cup of daily coffee in her hand while she searches for something. Her hair is up in a curly ponytail and she’s dressed in bright spring colors in honor of the season. He finds her irresistible when she looks over at him upon his entrance.

“I didn’t get to tell you earlier, but you look beautiful today, Swan.”

Her cheeks warm up and she closes her eyes briefly, taking a deep breath before pressing her lips together in a sweet smile. He drifts close enough to her that he can smell the lavender of her soap and the vanilla of her favorite lotion.

She is a bloody marvel, and he is not worthy to call her his.

“Thank you.” 

He grins wryly, taking the curve of his pointer finger and tracing it lightly over the apple of her cheek. “Why, Swan, you’ve gone red.” 

“Have I?” she murmurs. Her eyes are sharp and bright in the morning sunlight streaming through the windows of her office when they meet his. He smiles wider, his heart squeezing tight because she’s everything to him and he _loves her_.

“Aye,” Killian flits his tongue over his lower lip as he drops his hand. “Any idea why that is?” Emma narrows her eyes at him and he chuckles, moving in to kiss her cheek. “Don’t worry, love, your secret is safe with me.” 

Again, she flushes at his whispered words, and she nibbles at her lip. “And just what secret is that?” 

He gives her a look, cocking his head as his grin stretches to his eyes. “Why, you’ve got a bit of a crush on me, of course.” 

To see her smile is worth the dry look she’d been giving him. She gets the rosy glow again as she hides the curve of her lips in the cup in her hand. After she takes a sip, she speaks, “You’re right. I do.” 

It’s music to his ears and he kisses her to prove it. The taste of her coffee bitter, but the sweetness of this quiet, stolen moment cancels it out.

“But you know what?” Emma murmurs against his lips. “I think you have a crush on me too.”

“Do I?” he teases lightly, raising an eyebrow as he shifts back just to see her face.

She hums, nodding. “Yep. You know, little boys pick on little girls when they like them.”

“Swan,” he pinches his brows together, offended. “I am anything but _little_.”

Emma laughs and puts her hand on his chest. “I know. I was just _saying_.”

Killian eyes her over for a moment, unable to keep his smile hidden for long. “I suppose it would be honorable to own up, then.” He leans in close, so his words are spoken against her lips. “Emma?”

“Hm?” her voice lilts innocently.

He pauses, reveling in the way she smells and feels. “I have a _severe_ crush on you.”

She hums contentedly. “I thought so.”

Killian chuckles before kissing her.

When he meets her eyes after, there’s a definite glow and warmth in them.

Oh, yes. He has fallen in over his head for her. And he can’t bring himself to wanting out any time soon.


	8. sweet dreams are made of this

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Captain Swan baking at 3am and being all cute and stuff.

**sweet dreams are made of this**

She wakes up in the middle of the night with an insatiable craving for warm, gooey, chocolate chip cookies, of all things.

She tries to shrug it off and just roll over and sleep, but staring over at the door makes her want to venture out and check to see if they still have something that fits that bill in the pantry. Killian’s arm wraps around her at that moment and he breathes deep into her neck, obviously just waking up.

“Go back to sleep, love.” 

Emma smiles a little and decidedly places her hand over his. She’s getting her damn cookies even if she has to take out his only good hand. 

When she thinks he falls back asleep, his breathing evened out, she gently peels herself away from his hold and cautiously slips out of their bedroom, heading down the hall for the little kitchen she’s grown to love.

She flicks on the light and goes rummaging through the pantry first. Turns out, they don’t have cookies.

“Damn,” Emma nibbles on her lower lip and pivots around, looking at the oven for the time. Well, it’s 3AM and she can’t sleep without cookies. What else is she supposed to do?

Emma grabs the bag of chocolate chips and flips it over, humming as she reads over the ingredients. 

She finds everything, _somehow_ , and gathers it all on the kitchen counter. She throws her hair up into a bun and preheats the oven as she hums a song she’d heard on the radio earlier.

She just barely gets the butter out of the fridge when Killian comes padding into the room, wincing a little at the light, but smiling at her anyway.

“What are you doing awake?” His voice is thick with sleep still and she’d be lying if it didn’t send her mind places it shouldn’t be.

“Sorry,” Emma winces at him. “I just really needed some chocolate chip cookies.” 

He nods in agreement. “That sounds good.” 

“Really?” Emma tilts her head at him. “You usually really like sleeping.” 

He shakes his head at her and comes to stand beside her, glancing down at the counter. “What do we need to do?” 

“Well,” Emma drawls, holding the butter up. “First we should warm this up in the microwave so it won’t be impossible to mix into the sugar.” 

When she has the butter ready, she sets it in the mixing bowl and they get to measuring things out together. He insists on cracking the eggs after they mix together the sugars and butter, which makes her laugh, just because he’d raised his eyebrows and had looked so excited about the prospect of helping her in the way he could. He kisses the tip of her nose when he reaches in to grab the hand towel after breaking open the eggs and it makes her smile warmly at him.

Getting the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients bowl is definitely more of a mess than it should be. He ends up getting flour in his hair, powder on his nose, and she ends up giggling uncontrollably with smudges of semi-wet flour all over her. But what she can’t get over is: a fearsome pirate is standing in her kitchen with sweats on and flour peppering his hair white.

He laughs along with her until he has her pinned against the counter, his smiling lips on hers. She presses her slightly dirty hands into his hair and sighs into him. 

“Do you know what the best part of making cookies is?” she asks when he parts from her.

“Can’t say I do,” he shrugs. 

Emma grins and then opens the utensil drawer for a spoon. “Eating the cookie dough.” 

“But doesn’t that defeat the purpose?” 

“We’ll still put some in the oven,” she promises, “but it’s not even ready yet, look.” Emma glances over at the oven and shakes her head. “Still pre-heating.” 

He hums as if he understands and Emma finishes the job of stirring the ingredients together in the mixing bowl before she digs her spoon into it and holds it out for him.

He tastes it and hums as he swallows.

Emma quirks a brow. “Good?” 

He nods vigorously and she grins as she takes the spoon and has a taste of their dough for herself. It tastes like heaven and she’s eager for more, so she spoons up another serving and sucks the spoon dry as she leans back against the counter, contemplating the man in front of her.

He smiles a little, moving in so he’s leaning over her, his heat warm. She removes the spoon from her mouth and sets it on the counter.

“Did I wake you up?” she wonders, reaching up to try and get the flour out of his hair.

He shakes his head. “I was already half awake when you left.” 

Emma hums. It’s nice to have moments like these, she thinks. Moments where there aren’t any villains chasing them down or drama with anyone to deal with. Moments where she can be happy with Killian and not worry about what will happen next.

“Want some more cookie dough?” Emma asks as she digs out another chunk for herself. His eyes are bright as he nods and she feeds it to him with a laugh. “Who knew Captain Hook would enjoy eating raw cookie dough at three in the morning?” 

Killian laughs, deep and low, before he kisses her again. He tastes sweet, like chocolate and sugar, which only makes her grin wider as his forehead touches to hers.

“Only for you, Swan.” He reaches up and thumbs at the dimple in her chin. “Only for you.”


	9. one good thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "how about cs + talking on their bed in the middle of the night (about anything)"

**one good thing**

Emma can’t sleep. She’s wide awake, staring at the ceiling of her bedroom, and she cannot sleep. It happens a lot, she’s found, that despite the long hours of solving problems and being the Savior, sometimes sleep just doesn’t come. 

Beside her, Killian’s chest rises and falls easily. He’s peaceful in sleep, without much worry or pain, and she wonders if his dreams are just _that_ good or if he always just looks like this. 

Emma turns toward him, and with her movement, his eyes open. He inhales sharply. 

“What’s going on?” He slurs lowly. 

Emma shakes her head. “Nothing. Go back to sleep.”

Killian stares at her for a few seconds and then licks his lips, sliding closer to her so he can throw his arm over her back and rub circles with his thumb into her spine. 

“You’ve been awake.”

Emma sighs. How does he do this every time?

“Yeah.”

He smiles a little. “I’d be glad to tire you out, love,”

She laughs. “I don’t know about that. We have work tomorrow.”

Killian sneaks his leg between hers. “Aye. And you’re going to be awake anyway.”

Emma hums. “Nice try, but not right now.”

His smile merely softens and he presses a kiss to her forehead. “What shall we talk about then?”

Emma gives him a look. “Killian-”

“Swan, you’re awake. I’m awake too.”

She can’t help but smile. “Okay.”

“Okay.”

Emma nibbles on her lower lip. “One good thing. Go.”

“Okay, erm….” He pauses thoughtfully and then grins. “We got to have a meal as a family at the dining table.”

Emma’s cheeks fill with a happy smile. “We did. I’d chalk that up as a monumental success.”

He reaches up and plays with her hair. “Your turn.”

Emma considers her day for a moment. “I got to babysit my brother for a few minutes.”

“Aye,” Killian hums. “That you did.” He slides his hand down her arm and finds her fingers. “I fell asleep beside you. Every night that it happens I swear I’ll wake out of a dream. But I don’t.”

Emma takes a breath after smiling sweetly at him. “Dad fixed the sink.”

“Henry spoke with the lass he’s been keen on.”

Emma rests her head on his shoulder when he turns on his back, her fingers playing with his. 

“We have pictures to put on the walls.”

“The coffee machine made a good cup this morning.”

Emma considers the rest of her day and finds that she has nothing left to find that was good except for the obvious. “I love you.“ 

He’s quiet for a few beats. "And I love you.”

Emma allows herself to revel in the moment before she props herself up to meet his eyes. “Hypothetical kids.”

His eyes are alight with playfulness and she giggles when he pinches her side. 

“A wee lass first. She’s got your chin and my nose.”

Emma hums in agreement. “She’s a daddy’s girl. She likes dresses and the color pink.”

He hums and stares admiringly at her, as if picturing their little girl. “A proper princess, she’ll be. And our boy?”

“Sailor through and through. Blue eyes and sharp jaw. Always wants to follow you around. Mom will want to give us my brother’s hand me downs.”

He’s smiling wide enough that his eyes squint a little and she bites her lip happily. “They’ll both be storytellers.”

Emma hums in agreement. “They’ll get that from you and Henry.”

Her husband laughs and she chuckles as their hands continue to play with one another. “A good imagination is important. I’ll be glad to see that in them.”

She kisses his jaw. “You’ll be a good dad, Killian.”

“And you’ll be a marvelous mum. Already are.” She doesn’t know what to say, so she kisses him softly. He strokes at her wrist. “What has you worried? Why couldn’t you sleep?”

Emma shakes her head. “Nothing. I just couldn’t.”

He hums thoughtfully. “Names?”

Emma sighs as she settles closer to him.  "Harper.“

"Pretty. I like it.” Killian’s fingers trail up her arm.  "Jonas.“

"Nah. Jonas Jones? Too weird.” Emma shakes her head. “Liam.”

His hand stills. “For my brother?”

“Yeah.” Emma whispers. She moves so she can look at him. “I mean it’s just an idea. We don’t even have the kid yet-”

He reaches up to cup her cheek. “He would be honored if he knew we named our child after him.”

Emma moves so she can kiss him again and sighs against him when they part for air. 

“All of this talk of babies has me thinking about actually having one.”

He chuckles. “I thought that’s why we were having these talks.”

Emma laughs. “It is.” She stares at him softly. “Do you want a baby now, Killian?”

He shrugs thoughtfully, his eyes shining in the darkness of their bedroom. "Well, we’ve been married for a year and we’ve got a home, and an empty bedroom for them to use. Henry would probably like a sibling.” A smile tugs at the corner of his lips. “ _I_ might like a wee lad or lass to bring up.” 

Emma’s heart rate quickens and she can’t help but feel like he’s right. She hums. “Do you think it’s smart? I mean, we still have all of the world after us.”

“It’s us against the world, Swan,” Killian informs her. “We’re in this together. We can do anything we set our minds to.”

She smiles. “Then let’s do it. Let’s have a baby.”

“Truly?” He asks, his face alight with joy already. Emma laughs and nods. 

“Yeah! Let’s do it. I’m ready. We’ve talked about these hypothetical kids long enough. I want to see if we’re right.”

He makes her squeak when he rolls himself over her, his eyebrow raised seductively. “Then we’d best get going, Swan. I’d like to see if we can’t have one by the end of this year.”

Emma laughs as he kisses her and tugs at his hair. “Easy, tiger, we have nothing but time.”

“Aye,” he murmurs, dropping kisses to her cheek and jaw. He meets her eyes with a dazzling smile. “We do.”


	10. daddy's girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "Lazy morning CS where the kid wakes them up"

**daddy's girl**

She’s lying with her head tucked under his arm and he has her scent in his nose when his ears are alerted to a noise in the room. He doesn’t open his eyes, just keeps listening. Emma is incredibly warm and comfortable, as is their bed, and he isn’t about to wake up earlier than he needs to.

“Pssst,” a little whisper sends a waking jolt into his belly and he peels one eye open, sighing deeply as he shifts his head.

A little head pokes up from the foot of the bed, small hands clutching the comforter. Soft dirty blonde hair mussed from sleep and big, shining blue eyes stare at him.

Killian presses his hand over his eyes and takes a deep breath. “What is it, little love?” 

“It’s morning,” she says quietly. 

He can’t help but smile, turning to look at the alarm clock that tells him it’s barely six thirty. Before they’d had children, he’d been one to wake before the sun, but ever since the birth of his daughter, it has all been thrown out the window with late night feedings and changings and overall exhaustion from fatherhood. But he wouldn’t trade it for the world.

“Is it?” Killian whispers, carefully shifting in bed so Emma won’t wake and so he can sit upright.

His daughter nods as she comes scurrying over to his side of the bed. She smiles softly at him in the dark early morning glow. “Papa, you said we could go on your ship.” 

He opens his mouth as he recalls that conversation from the evening before. He’d been just trying to get her to go to sleep. He hadn’t really been serious.

“Ah,” Killian hesitates, glancing over at Emma. 

“Can we Papa?” 

He winces at her pleading tone and fills his lungs with air. “C’mere, little love.”

He holds his arms out and she goes to them with a smile on her lips that stretches to her ears. He pulls her up onto his bed with a grunt that makes her giggle and he sets her down on his lap.

“If you sleep for an hour more,” Killian bargains, touching her nose with his pointer finger, “Then your mum and I will make French Toast and we’ll all go together. Does that sound good?” 

She tilts her head to the side in thought. “Can the baby come too?” 

A smile spreads on his lips just thinking of bringing his entire family sailing. “Aye. Of course.” 

His daughter bobs her head. “Okay. I’ll sleep, Daddy.” 

She wiggles into the bed beside him and subsequently makes Emma wake up, he can tell because she groans and moves so she’s sharing the pillow with their daughter.

He meets her eyes as soon as their daughter falls asleep, which happens a few minutes after she finally gets comfortable, tugging and pulling at sheets and pillows, wiggling her limbs into each of them as powerfully as she can muster. 

“What did you do?” Emma whispers, her eyes narrowed slits.

He shakes his head and slides back down onto his side so he’s facing his two women. His daughter’s hair is in his nose and her arm is against his chest, her legs sprawled so far apart under the covers that he can barely move his own. But he doesn’t mind it in the least. 

“She wants to go sailing,” he sighs, raising an eyebrow. “But I’ve given us another two hours of sleep in the meanwhile.” 

His wife hums. “Good.” She reaches across the little body between them and pats his cheek as her eyes close again. “Love you.” 

Killian smiles softly. “I love you too, Swan.” 


	11. don't you ever grow up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "write another daddy!killian fic where killian is protective over his teenage daughter and overhears her talking to emma about a guy she fancies who has asked her out"

**don't you ever grow up**

“So, I kind of wanted to talk to you, Mom,” her voice is soft, but steady.

“Yeah? What about?” Emma asks.

He hears the water from the sink turning on and dishes clanking about as she sets about cleaning them and he stops in the hallway so he’s hidden from view, the book in his hand.

“This guy asked me out,” she blurts out.

It makes his heart stop and it falls straight into his gut.

His daughter is sixteen years old and she is the light in his day. He remembers when he and Emma had found out about her being pregnant as if it were yesterday, remembers holding his tiny, precious girl in his arms for the first time and promising her under his breath that he’d protect her from all of the evil in all of the realms combined as clearly as he remembers kissing his wife good morning.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah,”

“What’s he like? Tell me about him.” Emma sounds like she’s grinning and it infuriates him, because bloody hell, his daughter is _sixteen_ and she’s- she’s his _little girl_.

The wee lass that would giggle and hop up into his lap, begging him to tell stories to her, or that would step up onto his feet and ask him to show her how to dance like a _lady_. The little girl that insisted that sword fighting was for her just as much as it was for her big brothers.

Killian steps into the kitchen and meets his daughter’s eyes.

She smiles nervously at him, tucking her hair behind her ears. She slinks back a little and Emma turns around when she notices the change in their teenager’s demeanor.

“Is there something I should know about?” Killian asks, lifting his eyebrows at his daughter.

She looks guilty, dropping her shoulders and sighing. “Papa, I just didn’t want to tell you because I knew you wouldn’t like it.”

“You’re right about that,” Killian says, raising his eyebrows again. He steps further into the room and sets the book down on the kitchen island. “Who is it? Is it that _Whale_ boy? He’s no good, and I won’t have him anywhere near my daughter.”

“Papa he’s not _bad_ -!“

“Killian, he’s a good kid,” Emma interrupts, looking a touch annoyed with him. She turns the water off and moves so she’s leaning against the counter, her arms folded together in front of her chest.

He gives his wife a look. “Swan, he’s the product of Frankenstein and a werewolf. I don’t want him having any sort of _thoughts_ when it comes to Ava.”

There’s a tense second of silence and both of his women look at each other. He realizes a moment too late that he probably should’ve brought Henry and Liam in on this.

“Daddy, I love you, but you’re being a little restrictive.”

Emma nods in agreement. She pushes away from the counter and steps toward him, putting her hand around his bicep and her chin on his shoulder.

“Ava is responsible and smart and I think you’re forgetting that she comes from a family that wouldn’t let anything happen to her. She’s sixteen, babe, let her have a little fun.”

He sighs. “Swan, in this realm _fun_ is often misconstrued-“

Emma gives him _the_ look and his jaw locks as he turns his attention over to his daughter.

He clenches his hand into a fist and closes his eyes, forcing them open a moment later.

“I suppose you’ve got a good head on you, little love.” He takes a breath and pulls on a false smile for her. While he knows his daughter won’t let anything happen if she’s not willing, he’s not sure he’s ready to see her grow up yet. “Is it serious?”

Ava smiles a little, her cheeks flushing. “He just asked me out after school today when I was at the diner and I told him I’d think about it.”

Emma detaches herself from his side and goes to the sink again, resuming her actions with the sink and the dishes.

“So are you going to tell me more? Does he flirt with you? Or does he make grand gestures like your dad did when he was _wooing_ me?” Emma asks, and he rolls his eyes, grits his teeth, and heads out to the back porch that overlooks the water with his book in hand.

It’s a photo book that Ava had asked him about, wondering about a certain picture Emma had taken of a much smaller Liam and his baby sister on the deck of _the Jolly Roger_.

He sits down in the white rocking chair and breathes in deep the smell of the sea, staring out at the water as the sun starts to fall closer to the horizon.

He flits his gaze down to the photo book in his hand and opens it, his heart warming at the sight of each image he sees.

Memories accompany each one. They are happy memories, of birthdays, of holidays, and trips away from home. There are sweet candid moments of them around the house, all five of them, Henry included, and it makes him long for those days. He misses when his children were small and begged for attention every day.

Killian isn’t sure how long he’s been gazing at the image of his Swan curled up on the window seat with a two year old Ava in her lap, both of them looking out at the water, Emma pointing as she described his ship to her, but his thoughts are interrupted when the door opens and shuts.

Looking up, he discovers that Ava has come out to join him. Her smile is soft and hesitant. “Can I… join you?”

He can’t keep himself from smiling at her and nods. “Aye. Of course.”

His daughter nibbles on her lip before she makes her move, climbing up onto his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck while her legs drape across his, her face pressed in the crook between his shoulder and jaw.

“I love you, Papa.” She whispers.

Killian smiles and takes his arm around her, easing the discomfort a little, before he kisses the top of her head. He can’t be angry with her if she’s going to snuggle with him like she did when she was a two-foot tall chatterbox.

“I love you too, sweetheart.”

They rest there for a while. He tries to keep himself from crying, because he honestly cannot believe she’s _sixteen_ and she’s going out on dates and soon she’ll be leaving them just like Henry and Liam did before her.

“Papa,” she says, shifting so he can see her face. “How did you know you were in love with Mom?”

Killian narrows his eyes at her. “You’re not- you can’t be-“

“No,” she promises, a little wry smile reminding him so much of Emma. “But… when did it happen?”

He sucks in a deep breath. “I suppose it wasn’t one moment in particular. I was a bit of a scoundrel, as you know, and I wasn’t entirely eager to pursue your mum in our interactions at the beginning.”

Ava hums. She takes her fingers through his hair and narrows her eyes at him. “It had to have been before she and Henry went to New York, though, right? The moment you had a feeling? Because you told us that when you said goodbye you were heartbroken.”

Killian shakes his head. “Your mother has always had a special place, darling. I’m not certain I could pinpoint the exact time.” He stares at her, seeing both he and Emma blinking back at him in the twilight. “In Neverland, there was… a… kiss.”

Ava raises her eyebrows, humming excitedly. “A _kiss_. You never told us about any _kissing_ in Neverland, Daddy.”

He chuckles, tilting his head to the side. “Well, telling my children about one kiss in the jungle before your mum and I were romantically inclined would seem a bit inappropriate, don’t you think? You both always hated seeing us kiss in front of you to begin with, so I don’t know why I’d tell you the details of something you loathed so much.”

Ava giggles, shaking her head. The sound of her laughter makes him smile.

“But the kiss was what changed things?”

“Aye,” Killian says softly. “I’m not sure what would’ve happened if your mother hadn’t taken me by the collar of my coat that night.”

She gives him a look that he’s received from Emma many times in his life, telling him he’s being a little _too_ dramatic. It makes him laugh again.

“Cygnet, why are you so interested?”

“I don’t know,” she sighs. She looks down at his chest and he tilts his head at her, taking his hook to tilt her chin back up.

“Hey. What is it, love? I know that look. It’s the same one your mum gets when something’s bugging her.”

Ava shakes her head. “Do you think I’ll ever have it, Daddy? True Love? Like you and mom or Grandpa and Grandma? Or Robin and Regina?”

His heart squeezes tight in his chest and he realizes that she has her own insecurities, just as much as he has his about losing her.

Killian takes his hand to the small of her back and rubs circles into it as he meets her eyes. “I’m sorry I’m so hard on you about… _dating_. I just- I don’t want you to end up making mistakes like I did. I don’t want to see you hurt.”

Ava blinks at him and leans her head down onto his shoulder. “I know it’s because you love me, Papa. And I might not even go out with him.” He silently thanks the gods above with closed eyes, his heart lifting with elation. She pauses. “Can I tell you something?”

“Anything,”

She’s silent and he finds himself waiting on baited breath, the sounds of the night drowned by the white noise in his ears.

“I’m scared about going out with anyone because… I don’t know. It feels like I have to find True Love or something’s going to happen.”

Killian leans his head back and frowns. “Sweetheart, True Love isn’t something everyone gets.”

For a second, she’s quiet again.

“But I want it,” she murmurs. “I want someone to look at me like you look at Mom.”

He swears his heart is about ready to dislodge itself from his chest. He presses his lips to Ava’s hair.

“Oh, Cygnet. You’ll have that someday. I know you will. True Love or not, there will be a man who looks at you with as much admiration as a sailor has for the stars.”

She’s close to tears as she moves back to look at him again. “How can you be sure?”

A little smile tugs at the corners of his lips. “Because you’re a Jones. And we fight for what we want in this family. And I know for a fact that you’re just as stubborn as your mum, so you won’t rest until you have this feeling you’re looking for.”

She smiles at him weakly and nods her head. “Yeah.”

Killian reaches up to stroke back her hair, tucking it behind her ear.

She laughs a little. “Papa?”

“Hm?”

“Can you tell me a story please?”

She tucks into his embrace and he smiles, brushing a kiss to her forehead before he leans back on a sigh.

“Once upon a time, there was a devastatingly handsome prince named Charles and he had a beautifully maddening princess at his side named Leia.”


	12. the world is brighter than the sun, now that you're here

**the world is brighter than the sun, now that you're here**

He finds out one particularly long night, when the baby in his arms won’t stop fussing, that his and Emma’s shared appreciation for the sea is something inherited.

It’s dark as he stands in her nursery, holding the little girl in his arms with his heart clenching tight in his chest as he ponders the source of her wobbly lower lip. He kisses her forehead and wanders to the window, staring out at the harbor where his ship bobs gently in the water.

It’s worth a try, he figures.

Killian doesn’t get his shoes on, instead walks barefooted outside, his daughter’s fussing now something he’s used to as he walks with her held tight in his arms.

He focuses on his destination and as he draws close to it, to his pleasant surprise, the cries that had once penetrated the night have faded into a hiccup.

He smiles down at his daughter, under the cool glow of the moon and stars above. “You and I are quite alike, aren’t we?”

Killian’s knuckle traces over the soft skin of her cheek and he brings her up so he can kiss her forehead.

He takes her inside after she falls asleep to the sound of the tide.

+++

“Time to go to the beach,” he says, reaching into the crib to take the excited little girl into his arms.

She’s just a little bit bigger than she was on that impossibly late night, but she still clings to him like a lifeline, her little fingers gripping tightly to his shirt as he shuffles down the hall.

Emma’s standing in the kitchen with one of his shirts riding against her thighs and her hair is a gorgeous mess. She’s fixing breakfast and humming, but when he enters the room with their daughter, she smiles so warmly he thinks he’s seeing the sun.

“Hi!”

Killian beams at her and they meet for a soft kiss as their daughter starts babbling in his ear.

“I promised her the beach,” he says, and Emma just laughs a little under her breath and turns to grab her mug of coffee.

“Okay. Pancakes will be done when you’re back.”

Killian stares at her for a moment, his beautiful Savior Swan, and then decisively sweeps in to kiss her, earning a smile pressed to his lips. She licks hers when he moves away from her and he just smirks, turning his attention after a few moments to his daughter and their intended visit to the sea.

He points out things to the little girl on his hip and she pays as much attention as a lass of her age might. She eventually gazes up at him and he down at her, a soft grin filling his cheeks as he studies her features.

“You know, Cygnet, you’re just as beautiful as your mum.”

She giggles when he bops her on the nose and he chuckles, drawing her closer so he can press a kiss to her hair, breathing her in along with the scent of the water before them.

+++

Emma wakes just early enough in the morning on her own volition.

She isn’t surprised to find Killian missing, and when she heads down the hall, she isn’t surprised to find that her daughter is missing from her bed, either.

The sun is about to come up, she realizes, as she heads through the house, and when she gets outside, the first rays are itching at the horizon.

Killian stands in the wet sand with his gaze tilted downward, and Emma sees a little body positioned at his feet.

Emma smiles to herself and when she reaches her family, she wraps her arms around Killian’s middle and presses her chin against his shoulder.

“I thought I’d find you here.”

He shifts slightly, craning his head so he can see her, and she presses a kiss to his shoulder blade before moving to stand beside him.

“She likes the sea,” he explains for the hundredth time or so. “And you know I can’t say no to her.”

Emma hums. She looks down at the little girl, whose toes dig into the soft sand. She has two teeth and they’re both visible to her when she grins up at her.

Killian holds her fingers on his index finger, keeping her balanced when she tries to push up on the balls of her feet.

As the sun begins to illuminate the day, oranges and reds streak in the sky, and Emma delights in the way it makes her daughter glow, with such joy in her voice as she mimics the seagulls and bounces on her feet.

Emma wraps her hands around Killian’s arm and settles her chin against his shoulder, drawing his attention back to her.

He smiles softly. “Did I worry you?”

“No,” she promises. “I always know where you are if I can’t find you.”

A twinkle fills his eyes and a knowing smile creases at the corners of his eyes. “I suppose so.” 


	13. warmth

**warmth**

Emma has realized one thing about Killian in the time that they’ve shared beds and it’s this: his toes are the _coldest_ toes she has ever encountered in her whole entire life.

As with everything Killian Jones does, having terminally cold feet means that he _will_ do anything and everything in order to get them warm again, need he travel through hell or high water to get them there.

It’s how she always ends up- with his toes, freezing and shocking her out of sleep almost every two or three hours, pressed against the backs of her feet or legs, between them, or sometimes he has a foot strategically placed beneath her bottom- _how_ is beyond her and she’d rather not question him when she’s grouchy first thing in the morning anyway.

She’s not sure if he knows that he does it, but she doesn’t really mind. Not when she’s blessed with being able to wake up beside him, getting to snuggle closer to him when her own feet are freezing. In fact, Emma finds it sort of sweet, delighting in the idea that Killian seeks her out in his sleep for warmth.

Their blankets don’t help, she’s found, and he’s much, much warmer than socks are. So, they sometimes sleep with their legs so completely entwined that she’s fairly certain it’s beyond the point of indecent.

Killian’s feet slide against the sheets in the middle of the night one night after the darkness and all of the heartache that followed, and Emma is wide-awake as she studies him in his sleep. He tucks his feet up against her calves and she smiles faintly, reaching up to brush back the bangs of his unruly dark mop of hair.

He’s so content in sleep, his body drawn to her, protecting her she likes to think, with his arm wrapped so snugly around her. He sighs in his sleep and grumbles, “I know you’re awake. Go to sleep, love.”

Emma presses her forehead to his. “Your feet are cold.”

“Mmm. We’ve discussed it a few times.”

She hums. “I’ve missed them.” Emma whispers. “I’ve missed how they used to wake me up.”

He shifts to hold her closer to him. She closes her eyes. “It’s over now. I’m here.”

With a deep breath of him in her nose, she smiles. “I know.”


	14. home is whenever i'm with you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: captain cobra fluff (feat. captain cobra swan), henry teaches killian about the modern world.

**home is whenever i'm with you**

The diner is usually at its least busy after seven at night. So, Killian meets Henry there a few times a week, ducking into the back corner booth with a cocked eyebrow and a wry grin. 

“So tell me, Henry,” he leans in a little, “what new modern day feats do you have to teach me tonight?”

Henry grins widely, holding up in front of him a grocery bag. “Today, you’re going to learn the wonders of _candy_.”

Killian watches as Henry dumps out the bag, a smattering of rectangular shaped packages hitting the table loudly. They both look at the piles of _candy_ , and he tries to make a connection to what they might be back in the Enchanted Forest. He knows Henry likes candy, because the lad talks about it quite a bit, and sometimes he notices him chewing away at a chocolate bar. Chocolate, at least, is something he can relate to.

“Did you bring me back my Iron Man comic?”

“Oh!” Killian reaches into his jacket and removes the scrolled up paper novel to put on the table. 

“What’d you think?” Henry chirps, smiling as he takes his comic back. He stuffs it into the backpack beside him.

“He’s… certainly different than Captain America and Thor. I liked his wit.”

Henry bobs his head, smiling widely. “I figured you’d like him. He’s kind of the pirate of super heroes. He does what he wants and he’s really good at it.”

Killian chuckles. “Aye. I did notice quite a bit of that.” 

Henry tears open a package and hands it to him. “Okay, Killian. This is a Snickers bar. Peanuts on the inside with chocolate and caramel and something called nougat. We don’t have to get into specifics, though. It’s just really good.”

Killian takes the bar from the lad and takes a bite of the chocolate bark. 

Henry is already chatting again as he decides Snickers are indeed very good. ”So, did you figure out the message I sent you last night?”

Killian sets the bar down on the table and removes his talking device from his pocket. 

He scans over the cryptic words again. “ _Laughing out loud_ ,” Killian reads, glancing at the boy for affirmation. “I was _just kidding_. _Talk to you later_.”

Henry’s face brightens as he nods. “Yep. You’re getting good at this, Killian. Have you tried sending anything to my mom?”

Killian grimaces, shaking his head. “I’m not sure I’m ready to decipher what she might respond with.”

Henry hums. He tears open another package. “Okay, well, this is called Skittles. They’re fruity and awesome. Here, hold out your hand.”

Killian does and Henry pours out a few tiny brightly colored circular rocks. “What the hell is this?”

Henry laughs. “Trust me. They’re good.”

He gives the lad a wary look as he pops them into his mouth. After giving them a few seconds, he nods. “Those were… interesting. Don’t think I’d want to try them again.”

Henry frowns. “I guess they’re not for everyone. Okay.” He pulls out his notebook and flips it open. “What did you watch this week?”

Killian takes a breath. “I believe it was called _Star Wars_ , yes?”

Henry grins. “Awesome!” He scribbles off a title from the list. “What did you think?”

“I liked it,” Killian smiles. “That space pirate was my favorite.”

“Mine too,” Henry agrees. “Tonight you should watch the second one.”

Killian furrows his brow. “There’s more?”

Henry bobs his head. “Yeah. There’s six of them. But, some people don’t like the last three. They were made first.”

It confuses Killian to no end as Henry continues to explain, but he doesn’t say anything about it. 

“Well, how about we talk about new finds. Anything funky you don’t understand?” Henry offers. 

Hook thinks for a moment. “Erm… I came across something called Faced Book while I was on the magical box.”

The boy’s expression lifts. He laughs. “I think you mean _Face_ book. And it’s the Internet on your computer. I keep trying to tell you.”

Killian shrugs. “It’s still bloody confusing.”

“I know. That’s why we’re waiting to tackle that until you get texting down.” Henry grins at him as he breaks open another package. "These are Reese’s. You’ll like them. They’re chocolate and peanut butter.”

Killian nods. He and Henry have similar tastes when it comes to chocolate and peanut butter. Peanut butter had only been introduced to him a few weeks ago, but he can’t quite ever get enough of it. ”Ah.” 

As Killian bites in on the circular disc, the chime to the diner tinkles and he finds himself staring at Emma, who meets his eyes with a tilt of her head. She comes to the side of the table and looks between them, at the stack of candy on the table.

“What’s going on here? Having secret sugar meetings without me?” 

Killian swallows and shakes his head. “No, quite the contrary, love. We were waiting for you.” 

Emma gives him a look, but he slides over and she joins him in his side of the booth. She meets him for a greeting kiss, quick and habitual. Killian doesn’t miss the look Henry gives them out of the corner of his eye, a smile curving on his lips as Emma licks hers.

“Oh, I get it,” she announces, smiling over at Henry. “How long has this been going on?”

“What?” Henry asks innocently.

She narrows her eyes as she looks at Killian again, then quirks her brow. “Only a few weeks. He’s been teaching me things so I can get better… adapted.” 

Emma’s gaze softens and she drops her shoulders. “Oh. I didn’t realize you were having a hard time.” 

“Well, some things come naturally, but I still have trouble with tiny details.” Killian tosses his hand at Henry. “Your lad has been quite the teacher, Swan. You should be proud of him.” 

Henry beams when Emma turns to face him. “What’s the lesson tonight?” 

The teenager straightens out and shows her the candy. “Every time we meet, we talk about one new food, Killian tells me about one new movie he watched, and we go over terminologies that he isn’t sure about. Tonight, we have candy, which reminds me, Killian, you need to try…” Henry plucks up a red package and undoes it before handing it to him. “A Kit Kat. Break it in two first.” 

Killian does as he’s told and bites into it, humming in approval. “They’re all very interesting.” 

Henry nods. “I figured you’d like them.” He looks down at his backpack. “Okay, so here’s your reading for this week. It’s called Harry Potter. You’ll probably like it better than that book of classics you read the other week. This one has magic in it.” 

Henry sets a novel on the table and Killian takes it, running his fingers over the pages before nodding. “Alright. I’ll give it a go.” 

“Awesome.” Henry grins. He looks down at the candy and then at Emma. “Want some candy, Mom?” 

She looks thoughtful for a few moments before she reaches in and grabs a packet. “M&Ms are my favorite.” She pours more of the rock shaped objects onto the table and takes some to her lips. 

“Are those the same as those… Skittles?” 

“No,” Henry and Emma both say together. The table erupts into laughter after a beat and Killian takes some to try.

“Oh, they’re _chocolate_. I see.” 

Emma hums. “Yes, and they’re the best.” 

He sits back and listens to the animated chatter, a warm feeling slipping into his chest. His arm goes around Emma’s waist and she leans a little into him as Henry talks about his week in class, about lasses he’s interested in- he only admits it on a blush after much teasing from the two of them- and it feels _right_.

If there’s one term he doesn’t need help deciphering in this realm, it’s the feeling he has in his chest. It’s love. It’s family. It’s home.


	15. you don't know how beautiful you are

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "I'd love to read Killian marveling over Emma in her reading glasses and being all cute and domesticated about it"

**you don't know how beautiful you are**

She’s sitting up in bed, a novel in her hands, her hair brushed off over her shoulder, and she wears her pair of black-rimmed glasses. 

He admires her and all that she is in this moment, so quiet and content. She is beautiful and glowing as she drops a hand to smooth over her rounded waist.  

She nibbles at her lip and flips pages quickly, obviously caught up in a whimsical tale, and he watches her tilt her head a little as she glances to the fresh page. 

The glasses perched atop her nose accentuate the fact that her eyes are the loveliest shade of green, and her nose is delicately small in proportion.

He’s supposed to be reading his own novel of choice, a book about parenting in this realm, but he’s already read two or three of them so far and he’s fairly certain none of them truly know how to rear a child.

Dave had offered the books to him upon learning of his future grandchild’s due date in the coming month, and he’s the only reason why he continues to flip through the pages of these somewhat unhelpful books. If anything, they’ve spurred on irrational fears about Emma’s labor and the first few months of their child’s life outside of the womb.

Emma sighs through her nose and drops her hand to her belly again, giving it a stroke as a smile curves on her lips. She happens to glance over at him then and it stops her from continuing her book. 

“What?” she asks through a smile.

He shakes his head, a grin pulling at his cheeks. “Nothing, my love. You’re just beautiful tonight.”

Emma tosses her head to her shoulder and gives him a look. “I feel like a bloated whale. I’m wearing my glasses. I’m anything but beautiful.”

Killian sets his book onto his nightstand and slides a little closer to her, his body turned so he can study her some more. “On the contrary, Swan, I don’t believe you’ve ever been more lovely.”

Emma doesn’t believe him. She folds over the corner of a page and places her book down between them, covering the baby bump with both hands. 

He smiles and reaches over to run his thumb along the curve of her glasses frame. “These bring out the color in your eyes.”

He sees the disbelief still and she gives him a pathetic look. “They’re _glasses_.”

“Aye,” he hums, “and I like them. Quite a bit.”

Emma’s cheeks gain a rosy hue as he drops his hand, taking it instead to the place where their child grows. He finds her hand and holds it, thumbing over her skin. 

“They serve many purposes,” he tells her. “They help you see, for one. They also are quite the attractive accessory.“

She presses her head back into the headboard of their bed and looks at him through the lenses of her glasses with adoration as true and deep as he feels. 

"You’re so sappy.”

He grins and moves a little closer, so they’re nearly nose-to-nose. “Ah, but you love it.”

His Swan hums. “Yeah. I do.” He kisses her sweetly. “Thank you for being so good to me. I don’t deserve it.”

“You always deserve it, Emma,” Killian squeezes her hand and raises his eyebrows at her. “If anything, I am undeserving of a woman so brilliant and beautiful as my wife and the mother to my child.”

Emma’s cheeks dimple a little with a smile. He hopes their children inherit her smile more than anything. “Shut up before you make me cry again.”

He chuckles lowly and kisses her chastely. “A gentleman never keeps a compliment to himself, love.”

Emma hums thoughtfully. He takes his hand from her and gently removes the spectacles from her face. She furrows her brow at him. 

“What are you doing?”

He wriggles his eyebrows and pushes them onto his own face. She rolls her eyes and laughs. 

“Well, that’s much better,” he tells her. 

Emma snorts. “You’re such a dork. Why did I marry you?" 

"D’you suppose I need a pair as well?”

Emma laughs. “Well, you are like five hundred years old, so maybe.”

He gives her a look and tugs her glasses from his face. “I told you, it’s more like two hundred, and I’m not physically withered.”

She hums, taking her glasses from his open hand to fold them and put them on her nightstand with her book. 

“That’s something I definitely do know.” Emma flashes him a smile. She leans over and kisses him. “Night.”

She works herself down against the mattress after turning her lamp off. He sighs and does the same, staring up at the darkened ceiling for a few moments. 

She rolls onto her side away from him and he curves himself against her, propping his chin up on the curve of her neck as he holds the bump gently. 

“Should I go to the doctors?”

Emma laughs. “You’re fine, Killian. Don’t worry about it. Is it hard to see anything?”

“No. But-”

“Reading glasses are for _reading_ , not for normal everyday sight. I’ve had them since I was in high school. Not a big deal.”

He relaxes a little. “Will our children need glasses, do you think?”

“Maybe,” she yawns. “But we won’t know until they’re here, and this one won’t be if you don’t let me sleep.”

He smiles into her neck and kisses her. “I love you, Swan.”

She hums tiredly. “Love you too.”


	16. can't get you off my mind (drama teacher au)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "I'm the drama teacher and you're the only one who can actually act help me demonstrate this love scene to my students."

**can't get you off my mind**

Emma Swan has been living with Killian Jones since she moved to the city.

She’s known him for about ten years. Their relationship has always been a little awkward, push and pull, will-they-won’t-they style. Her friends all tell her that one day she’ll see the light about him, that she’ll realize she’s been in love with him since freshman year, Acting 101, but she won’t admit it’s true.

Killian Jones is a nit-picky, arrogant, snarky bastard who just so happens to smell fantastic and dress like a freaking model. 

He always has women over, anyway, so if she ever did fall for him, _which is never happening_ , it would be unrequited.

As she peruses the script she’s been having her students read through over breakfast one morning, she frowns, nibbling at her lower lip as she glances up.

He’s sitting at the kitchen counter, studying the newspaper with his ridiculously messy hair and his spoon half-raised between the bowl of Fruit Loops and his mouth. 

She’d probably never admit that he’s the most attractive in the mornings. Nope, not ever.

Or that he wears plaid really, incredibly well. Or that he sings like a freaking rock star and needs to play at huge venues and-

And he’s her roommate and her friend and he’s ridiculous and she _can’t_.

“Hey Killian?” He hums, but doesn’t look up at her. Emma takes a breath. “Do you think you could come in and help me with something today in class?” 

That makes him look up. He swallows his spoonful and shrugs. “What is it you need help with?” 

“Just a scene,” she says without further explanation. She smiles. “And it wouldn’t take very long. The class that I’d need you for is right away this morning, so-“ 

He narrows his eyes a little and nods. “Well, alright. Might I see the script?” 

Emma hesitates and she feels her face warming up as she tries to just tell him what it is. “Uh, yeah, sure.” She goes and sets the script down by his newspaper before rushing off to her bedroom so she can occupy herself with finishing getting ready for the day.

When she goes back out into the kitchen, where he’s still sitting.

He smirks at her, all teeth and cocked eyebrow, a ridiculous pairing. “A _love_ scene?” 

She gives him a look, folding her arms to her chest. “You’re the only actor I know at the moment and these students need to understand what it looks like when it’s done professionally.” 

He hums, eyes flitting over the words on the page. “Well, I humbly accept your offer, Swan.” He sets the script down and approaches her, getting uncomfortably close. “I’d best brush my teeth before we go.” 

Emma bites her tongue and sighs as he goes off for the bathroom they share. 

So _maybe_ she has _feelings_ for him. Kissing him won’t be the end of it for her. Will it?

//

By the time Emma gets to work, Killian has informed her in a hundred different ways that he’s a little more than excited about their kiss. She shakes it off as him being his standard flirtatious, stupid, dumb self and goes about her business of organizing things before class starts.

She smiles as the students start filing in and begins resting the script sides on their desks. It’s a small class and she’s very lucky to have even gotten this position as teacher at the college in the city. 

Killian sits at her desk, his legs folded on the wood while he reclines back in her chair. She shoots him a look, slumping her shoulders, as she returns to him.

“Killian, this is my classroom, you play by my rules. Feet on the floor.” 

He grumbles at her and does as she tells him. “Should’ve known you’d be one of those.” 

Emma sighs and checks her phone for the time. “Okay. Class starts now, so why don’t you act like an actual adult for just an hour?” 

Now it’s his turn to give her a look.

She smirks as she turns to the happily chattering class. “Good morning, guys.” 

“Morning,” they chorus back.

She claps her hands together. “Okay, so this morning, I thought since we’re starting to learn about stage kissing and love scenes, I’d bring in my good friend, Killian.” Emma gestures to him and he grins wide, waving at the class. “He’s an actor as well. We went to school together, actually, and I asked him if he’d be willing to help us out.” 

Emma smiles warmly before holding up her sides. “Let’s first discuss what we’ve been learning about stage kissing, then we’ll read through these lines and Killian and I will show you how it’s done.” 

The class moves forward and she tries to keep the butterflies from her belly whenever she happens to glance over at Killian. He’s listening attentively, his expression quite serious and involved as the conversation in her classroom evolves. It reminds her quite a bit of when they were in college themselves.

When it comes time to perform, Killian jumps up out of her chair with a big grin on his face and his sides in his hand. She takes a breath as he draws even closer to her.

“Do you know your lines?” she asks. “Because we probably shouldn’t use them.” 

“I know my lines.” He quirks an eyebrow, then leans in, as if no one else is around, lowering his voice dangerously. “But do you?” 

Emma swallows, feeling her belly flop at the way he stares at her. She hates that this is happening right _now_ , in the middle of class. Why couldn’t he save the attitude for the apartment?

“I have them down.” 

“Good.” Killian plucks her papers from her hands and then settles them back on her desk before rejoining her. 

Emma takes a breath. It takes all that’s in her to steady herself. “Okay, so… I have the first line.” He nods.

“Go ahead, then,” he says. Emma bobs her head and she watches him for a second as she puts herself into her character.

She watches as he transforms himself into his character as well, something she always loved watching while they were in school. He’s a brilliant actor, so it’s no surprise to her that he’s been fairly successful at landing roles in plays and movies here. She’s so proud of him, too, because he’s worked his whole life at becoming an actor.

“Did you really save his life?” she asks. 

Killian raises an eyebrow at her, daring her almost. “That surprise you?”

“Well, you and David aren’t exactly… how do you say it, _mates_?” A light chuckle falls over her classroom as she tries out his accent.

He stays with her, though, looking off to the side before meeting her eyes as he speaks. “Doesn’t mean I leave your father to perish on this island.”

“Thank you.” 

Killian takes a gentle step toward her and she feels the butterflies again, this time a stuttering in her chest accompanying them.

Oh, _no_ , she really brought this onto herself, didn’t she? She definitely should have just had her students try it out and showed a YouTube video instead of having a real life example.

He reaches up with his right hand and scratches at his ear before pulling his forefinger to his lips, giving them a playful tap as his eyebrows raise in suggestion.

“Well, perhaps gratitude is in order now.”

Emma smiles a little, turning her anxiousness into eagerness within a heartbeat of a second. She nods. “Yeah, that’s what the thank you was for.”

“Oh, is that all your father’s life is worth to you?” Killian steps even closer, so close she can smell his cologne.

He’s magnetic when he’s acting, and she knows he doesn’t have to dig far for this dashing rapscallion of a character he’s doling out. He smiles coyly, teasing and taunting her.

She’s almost wishing now that she didn’t pick a script that matched him nearly to a tee, because it’ll be hard to distinguish whom she’s kissing in a few moments.

“Please.” Emma snorts, “You couldn’t handle it.” 

He grins, leaning in as he taunts her straight back. “Perhaps _you’re_ the one who couldn’t handle it.” He places emphasis on his _it_  and she searches his eyes for a moment, hesitating, deciding in her character’s mind, before reaching in and tugging him by the lapels of his stupid leather jacket.

She crushes her lips to his and slides her hand up into his hair, the sensation almost completely overwhelming when he emits a little groan. His hand finds her hair and they anchor to each other, moving and keeping the kiss going even when it probably should technically be done and over. His tongue is in her mouth and her knees are starting to wobble, the knot tightening in her belly as a shot of need runs down her spine. 

This wasn’t a good idea. This was a _terrible_ idea. _Shit._

She finally breaks it when she feels like she’s probably going to combust and staggers back, gripping his collar tight. Their foreheads touch and their breathing is intensely labored. “That was…”

“A one time thing.” 

When she steps back from him, she finds his cheeks flushed and his eyes have broken out of character.

Well, damn it all to hell. He felt it too.

The class is eerily silent for a moment before she turns to them with a smile. “So that’s how it’s done!” 

Her students clap enthusiastically for them and she tells them to check the syllabus for their homework assignment before dismissing them for the day.

It doesn’t take very long for him to start acting like a brooding puppy, his facial expression full of a sense of disbelief, almost, as she goes to grab her things to take him back to their apartment. She slumps her shoulders at him.

“Killian, it was just a kiss.” Emma tells him. “We were acting.” 

He pulls on a smile. “Aye. I suppose so.” There’s a pause and she feels a clenching in her gut, pulling her back to the moment when his lips had been on hers.

“We should go. I have a meeting in an hour and a half.” 

He nods and they don’t speak until they get back to the apartment, and it’s only to tell each other they’ll see each other later.

//

For two weeks, it’s misery.

She can’t escape him, and they keep having near-collisions within the apartment even more than what feels like is humanly possible. Sitting up with him while she grades papers is almost as worse as the kiss was. He’s stupidly attractive, sitting there watching baseball with his lazy clothes on, his hair a wild mess from the nap he’d taken after work.

They talk less, but somehow more at the same time now that they’ve kissed. His eyes do a lot of the talking, always so yearning and full. He teases her less, but he does still joke around when they’re with friends.

She finds just about everything he does now to be unfairly attractive, and she curses herself always for seeing him like this.

And it’s even worse when she walks in on him in the bathroom in the full on nude. It takes her a few long hours of soothing classical music and a long walk around the city to feel even a little up to talking to anyone again, much less coming back to the apartment so they can both wear their shame on their sleeves.

It’s not until Emma comes back home from a long day at school, watching her students perform love scenes and critiquing their techniques, her memories really always flashing back to Killian and his dumb lips, that things finally change.

She drives home thinking about him and the way she’d felt kissing him. She hasn’t felt like that in a long time, and judging by the way he always stares at her now, it’s probably safe to say it’s the same feeling for him. That, and he hasn’t had a girl over since they kissed.

She enters the apartment and immediately, she’s overwhelmed by the smell of food. She furrows her brow. “What’s going on here?” 

Killian’s standing in their kitchen with an apron on and a smile on his face. “Ah! You’re back.” 

She narrows her eyes at him. “What’s going on? You _never_ cook.” 

Her roommate gives her a little look, but then comes over to her. “We’re having dinner.” 

“Why?” she asks, drawing the word out with frustration.

Killian shrugs. “Because.” 

And now it’s an argument, because _they kissed_ and everything between them is laced with deeper meaning.

“Because _why_?” 

Killian gives her a stern look. “Swan, I’m just trying to be nice and cook us a meal.” 

She hums cautiously. “You never cook, and when you do it’s a _disaster_. My point still stands.” 

He grits his teeth, making his jaw lock a little. “Dammit, Emma,” Killian takes a deep breath, steeling himself. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about our kiss since it happened.” 

Emma’s jaw falls open and she blinks at him. “Wha-“ 

He takes a few steps closer to her and her heart stammers in her chest while her stomach ties up. His eyes carry the vulnerability she’d seen in him after their kiss, so big and blue. “Emma, that kiss wasn’t acting, was it?” 

She swallows as he gets into the bubble that he’d been in before the kiss and blinks up at him. She doesn’t know what to say.

“Because it wasn’t for me,” he whispers. “And I have a sneaking suspicion it wasn’t for you either.” 

Emma stares at him as she soaks in the noises of the apartment. There’s water boiling and he has the TV on some sports channel. It’s home for them, and it hasn’t felt like home since the kiss, because there have been walls up for both of them.

“I’m afraid,” she admits quietly. “I don’t want this to end our friendship.” 

“It won’t,” Killian promises. She sees his honesty in his eyes and she clings to it like a lifeline. “Because you are my _very_ best friend and I don’t think that will ever change.”

He leans in toward her and she pushes up on her toes, moving to press their foreheads together as her hands grab at the back of his neck. Her eyes squeeze tightly shut. “It wasn’t just acting for me either.” 

“Good,” he breathes against her lips, “ _good_.” 


	17. instagram's hottest dad (modern au)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "Hot dad Killian Jones enjoys a day off with his wife and kid and gets his photo taken and uploaded on the instagram account dilfs_of_Disneyland"

**instagram's hottest dad**

It’s been a good vacation so far. He has a lot of fun with Liam on his hip, and at his side on occasion, or in the stroller, while Emma takes pictures and walks them through their carefully planned weekend excursion. He’s been busy with work as of late and Emma’d been itching for some time out of the house, so he figured this was as good a time as any to bring Liam to the Happiest Place on Earth.

Their little boy is just barely three. He’s excitable and boyish, his big wide blue eyes bright as he soaks in the day. The crowds are relatively light for a Saturday morning in the fall and he’s glad for it, reaching for his wife’s hand as they head down Main Street. Liam keeps asking questions, the little rascal, and Emma laughs as she answers him, reaching in as they stop at a corner shop to adjust his little hat.

“We’re going to go see Mickey soon, baby,” she promises. Emma looks at Killian. “Hey, do you think you could just watch him really quick? I want to go see if they have some of those giant chocolate chip cookies in the bakery.” 

He quirks an eyebrow at her. “Cravings, Mrs. Jones?“

His wife winks at him and kisses his cheek. “I’ll be right back.” 

Killian watches her go with a tiny smile on his lips and soaks in the pleasant California air. It’s laced with a light breeze today and the excited music swelling around him reminds him that this was a good idea. Liam points at the castle and Killian nods when he asks if it’s where the princess lives.

“Aye, lad,” he grins, poking Liam in the belly and making him giggle. “Sleeping Beauty herself lives there.” 

“ _Really_?” Liam chirps. 

Killian can’t help but laugh, and as he does, he catches a glimpse of some gawking ladies, one of which has out her phone, pointed straight at him. He’s momentarily confused, but goes on with his story with Liam until Emma comes out of the bakery with her cookie.

He narrows his eyes slightly over his shoulder at the women as they start for making the best of their day off together and quickly forgets about them while Emma feeds Liam pieces of her cookie and they find out where Mickey is hanging out.

Liam wants to meet a bunch of characters, it turns out, which means they end up spending a few hours waiting in queues for meet and greet scenarios longer than they do for rides that the little boy loses his mind over with excitement. But, it’s worth it, because Liam nearly erupts when he meets Snow White and again when he meets Goofy, and the laughter on Emma’s lips is like music while she takes pictures of their boy hugging his favorite characters.

At some point, they settle in for a late lunch and Liam curls up in his lap to take his nap. Emma has her phone out and she suddenly furrows her brow before letting out a laugh.

“What?” he asks.

His wife shakes her head, biting at her lower lip. “Ruby texted me.” Emma looks down at the device for a moment. “She says, ‘Look who has finally graced the internet with his hot dad status.’”

Emma spins around her phone and he finds himself staring at a picture of him holding Liam, the lad looking off at the castle while Killian smiles wide, admiring his boy. 

Killian furrows his brow for a moment, studying the description of the image that’s been posted on Instagram. “DILF spotted on Main Street. I mean, SERIOUSLY?” Followed by a series of emojis and tags that have him inwardly feeling sort of prideful.

He isn’t sure how he should react, but a laugh slips from his throat and he raises his eyebrows at Emma. “I’m afraid now that the world knows about me, you’re in a run for your money, Swan.” 

Emma gives him a look as she takes her phone back from him. She snorts, “Please.”

Killian grins wryly. “Are you jealous, love?” 

His wife gives him another look, as if to scold him for even having the thought. “I have you tied around my finger. I don’t think there’s any need to be jealous.” 

He wiggles his eyebrows at her playfully and adjusts his son in his lap. “Do you, now?” 

She hums and tucks her phone into her backpack before moving to sit beside him on his side of the table. She smiles as she leans in close, her hand pressed to his cheek and her nose just barely brushing against his. 

“We’re going back to the hotel and we’re going to come back later for the fireworks. Okay?” 

He hums after she kisses him. “That was the plan.” 

Emma hums, her thumb stroking over his cheek as she meets his eyes. “Yes, but you’re also going to go grab me another cookie while I go to the bathroom. And we’re going to get Mickey ears and get our picture taken in front of the castle.” 

“Swan-“ He complains, ready to argue that they’ve already got Mickey ears at home from the last time they came, but when she leans back with a stern look on his face, dropping her hand, he sighs. “As you wish, my love.” 

She grins. “See? I don’t need to worry. You’re _mine_.” 

A smile curls at his lips and he quickly moves in to kiss her hard. Her hands are quick to find his hair and she sighs against him. 

“Aye, and _you’re_ mine.”

By the time they get to their hotel room, Ruby has informed them that he’s made the Instagram three other times, and by the time their vacation is over, he’s made it a total of seven.

He wiggles his eyebrows at her as they settle into their car. “Well, it appears you’ve married quite the _hunk_ , Swan. Shall I wear a title now? Instagram’s Hottest Dad?”

Emma scoffs, obviously annoyed. “Shut up.”

“As you wish. But you know- no one gets to have me but you.”

Emma hums happily, reaching over to stroke at his hair. “Yep. I know.” She drops her hand into her lap. “Now let’s get going, Instagram’s Hottest Daddy, we have to get home before midnight.”

“Yes, dear.”


	18. childhood best friends au

**childhood best friends au**

In kindergarten, he pulls her pigtails and she pushes him in line to get back at him. She thinks boys are icky and he thinks girls have cooties, but sometimes they share crayons, but only because their teacher tells them to.

In first grade, when Neal kicks her in the shins and makes her bleed, he gets angry and yells at him, goes to tell their teacher, and helps her to the nurses office. They both get stickers and he gives her his. Hello Kitty is cute, but not for a boy like him, anyway.

In third grade, they talk a lot more. He sits with her in after school care and they do homework together. He makes her giggle when he tells her stories his big brother Liam tells him. They share cookies and sometimes she thinks he’s _gross_ , but most times, he’s just being a _boy_ so she excuses him. She kisses his cheek on the last day of class before rushing off to find her daddy. He doesn’t stop smiling for months.

In fifth grade, she thinks he’s cute and he thinks she’s pretty. She gives him a valentine she made and he gives her a teddy bear Liam helped him pick out. They hold hands and sometimes she kisses his cheek, so that means they’re _dating_ , right?

In sixth and seventh grade, he is her best friend. He doesn’t pick fun on her when her acne becomes a serious issue. He doesn’t call her names or play with her feelings like some of their classmates do. They do their homework together and play video games together at his house after school. He eats dinner sometimes at her house and her dad helps fix his bike when it breaks. Her mom thinks they’re _cute_ together and she whispers to her dad sometimes about how she thinks they’ll get married someday. Emma rolls her eyes when she hears her and takes Killian’s hand to bring him up to see her bedroom. He sometimes thinks she’s a tornado trying to kill him and she sometimes thinks he’s too shy.

She kisses him for real in eighth grade, on the lips.

In ninth grade, they are inseparable. He walks her to classes and they go to his house to do homework and work on projects. He buys her hot chocolate with cinnamon almost every day at Granny’s and they learn how to drive after Liam teaches Killian once or twice. They go on chaperoned dates and she laughs because he dresses up. It earns him a kiss on her doorstep that lasts what feels like forever.

In tenth grade, she tells him she loves him. He tells her back.

In eleventh grade, she starts to worry about her future. He helps her fill out college applications and goes with her to tour campuses. They go on more dates, now that he can actually pay for things, and she has two of his sweatshirts and he has a whole drawer of little things she leaves behind, plus a pair of her shoes that somehow she never remembers to bring back to her house. She teases him that if they ever moved in together it wouldn’t be a problem. He likes the way she thinks.

In twelfth grade, he has a ring burning a hole in his pocket. He’s saved up for two years and since she’s staying most nights over in his bed, warm and smelling like vanilla and the sunrise, and sneaking out in the early morning to get back home, he figures they’re _it_. There is no one else for him, really. And he tells her that when she finds the velvet box in her little drawer in his bedside table.

They go to college together and she wears his ring on her finger for two years before it comes off. She’s tired and he’s working too much, and they were _young_ when they got engaged to begin with. But they love each other, they really, really _love_ each other, so it isn’t goodbye, and it isn’t the end.

But it feels like it is.

He drinks and she buries herself in classes. They don’t see each other as much as they want to. Sometimes she visits him at work, but it’s always with an underlying ache that they speak.  

She is twenty-three and he is twenty-four when she kisses him for the first time in a long time. This time, they swear, it’s going to be all right.

“You’re my best friend,” she whispers late that first night. “Ever since we were little. You were there for me.”

“Aye,” he agrees. “And you’re mine.”

She finds the ring when they’re moving into their new apartment together and tells him she’s ready to wear it again.

He’s twenty-six and she’s twenty-five when he watches the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen walking the aisle toward him. He remembers when he thought she had cooties, remembers thinking kisses to his cheek were enough. She is his best friend and he is marrying her.

“We were probably always supposed to be together,” she muses as they stand at the altar. She remembers when she thought he was icky and how she hated him for pulling her pigtails, but now that is the furthest from the truth.

“It’s always been you, Emma.” He vows. “And it always will.”


	19. like father, like son

**like father, like son**

Emma smiles when she sees them walking toward her. Killian has their son in his arms, his lips pressed to the side of his head while he babbles excitedly and points at her. She laughs as she gets closer.

“Mama!” Liam reaches his arms out and she takes him from her husband. She leans in to kiss Killian hello and then turns her attention to her little boy.

“Hi, baby,” she kisses his forehead. “How are you?”

The only words he knows are limited to Mama and Papa and an occasional attempt at something that sounds like Henry, so he just smiles at her with his little teeth and his big blue eyes. She laughs, feeling light as the afternoon sun warms her bones.

“Liam, show Mummy your new shoes.” Killian reaches out to grab Liam’s foot and Emma laughs again when she sees that her son is wearing a pair of black and white sneakers.

Killian grins when she looks at him for an explanation and then kicks up his foot to show her that he has a matching pair.

“You got new shoes.” Emma smiles.

He nods. “Well, they were so stylish on our boy, I couldn’t let him be the only devilishly handsome man in the house.”

She hums. “Right. That’s what it was about.”

Killian gives her a look. “Swan, I’m not copying your father’s decision to wear this style of shoe as well.” Emma raises an eyebrow. “They’re just bloody comfortable, and much easier to remove than my boots.”

She gives him a skeptical once over and tilts her head to the side. “Are we going to grab lunch or are you going to try and talk me into why your new shoes are good all day?”

An easy smile spreads on his face and he tosses his hand toward Granny’s. “After you, my love.”

When Emma comes home later that night, she finds Killian and Liam stomping around the house in their new shoes together. It is even more hilarious now, because they both are wearing matching clothes as well. Liam in a little leather jacket is something she’ll probably never forget, and she loves it almost as much as her son does.

Killian flashes her a grin.

“Pirating twins,” he says, gesturing to Liam with pride in his eyes. “Isn’t that right, my boy?”

Liam giggles when Killian captures him into his arms and tickles him. “Can you say ‘arrrr’?”

“Arrrr,” Liam repeats through squeaks. Killian raises his eyebrows at Emma and she rolls her eyes when Killian goes to grab one of Liam’s foam play swords. They stage a fight, Killian with his hook and Liam with his sword, and Emma just watches with laughter in her throat as they dance around the living room.

Needless to say, she captures a picture that she saves as her phone background for months to come.


	20. good morning, my heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: cs + early morning cutes

**good morning, my heart**

She is particularly adorable in the mornings, with her hair mussed around her head like a halo and her limbs sprawled about, more often than not touching him in some ridiculous way. She has this little snore that breaks past her throat every so often and her peaceful expression always has him wondering what she’s dreaming about.

When she wakes, there’s a moment of still before her breath comes out in a deep sigh and she opens her eyes just a crack, almost instantly closing them again. She licks her lips and rubs her hands over her face.

“Killian are you watching me sleep again?” 

He smiles. “I can’t help it, love. Sailor’s blood.” 

Emma hums and doesn’t open her eyes, instead breathing in deep as she lies there with her arm stretched over her forehead. “Do we have to do anything today?” 

She turns onto her side and her eyes open in earnest then, all bright green and attentive. He shrugs. “I dunno. Do we?” 

Emma laughs tiredly. “It’s Sunday, so no. We’ll just go meet my parents for dinner later.” 

Killian grins. “That sounds good.” 

“Yeah?” Emma pulls at the comforter until it’s at her chin and shrugs a little. “You want to make breakfast or do you want me to?” 

Killian quirks an eyebrow at her. “What if we stayed in bed instead?” 

She hums again as her eyes close. “I’d like _that_. I haven’t had a lot of sleep lately.” 

He chuckles. “Aye, love. I’m _quite_ aware.” 

Emma shoves him in the arm and he laughs again. “Shut up. I’m trying to sleep.” 

Killian pecks her nose and cheek, and then decidedly gets out of bed. She groans when his body makes an exit and he chuckles. “What is it now?” 

“You can’t go,” she tells him, whining. “You’re too warm.” 

“Well, _I_ happen to be quite famished from last nights activities, so if you’ll pardon me, I’m going to make breakfast.” He shimmies into his pants and when he goes around the bed to her side, he kisses her lips. “If you miss me, I’ll be in the kitchen.” 

She hums, her hand on his cheek keeping him anchored there for another series of tempting kisses. “Stay?” 

As if on cue, his stomach gurgles unhappily. He touches his forehead to hers. “I’ll be back soon enough.” 

He barely gets into the kitchen when she comes slumping in behind him. Her eyes are still tired and she has her hair thrown atop her head messily.

He swears he could never love her more.

She shuffles toward the coffee machine and fidgets with it until it starts to sing its morning song. He grabs the eggs and she the bacon. He mans the stovetop and after her coffee is finished, her arms go around him and she nuzzles her nose against his back.

She tastes like coffee and her smile is gentle when he turns to face her after plating the eggs.

“Good morning.” She whispers. 

This, he’s never truly had before. This feeling of complete and utter contentment with the woman he is in love with. The feeling of knowing she’s not going anywhere and the contentment to be lazy with her in their bed, talking and laughing and sleeping the day away.

She is his and he is hers and he _loves her_.

He takes his finger and traces her jaw to the dimple in her chin. “Good morning, love.” 


	21. never could be sweeter than with you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: CS + jumping on the bed

**never could be sweeter than with you**

She’s fairly certain there’s just something about being in a place she can call her _home_ that makes her just a little happier than anything else.

Finally getting an apartment away from her parents and newborn brother is probably one of her greatest life accomplishments, if she’s going to go so far as to assign a title to the apartment with a water view.

One perk to not having to worry about functioning around her parents is that she can do whatever she wants.

For instance, she can go take a shower at five thirty when she gets back from the station, and then she can open up the fridge, pull out a tube of cookie dough, and sit on the counter while she contemplates the rest of her evening, instead of sitting through a meal with her parents and then trying to keep out of their hair and not get annoyed with the same stories she’s heard for the past few years she’s known them.

Henry’s sometimes home when she gets back from work and they have dinner and sit in front of the TV for a while before going their separate ways. It’s nice, being a mom to a good kid like Henry.

And it feels like it did in New York, except for one huge difference: Killian lives with them.

He was an easy sell, especially with True Loves Kiss under their belts and a few months of dating out of the way.

He’s neat and organized, constantly cleaning up after she and Henry when they leave things out or put things in the wrong places. He does it all without making even a little quip, something she finds incredibly sweet.

Killian enjoys spending most of his time at home with she and Henry, which is especially nice, because he’s warm and he carries her to bed if she falls asleep while they’re watching Star Wars for the umpteenth time. He likes to make dinner for them sometimes, too, which always results in her making sure they get to bed a little earlier than usual so she can properly thank him.

Sometimes, when Henry goes to stay with Regina and Robin for the week, she and Killian tend to be a little more cavalier in what they do in their home.

He has her pinned up against the door almost immediately some days, while others, they both just want to get into the shower, eat, and sleep.

On this particular day, they emerge from the bathroom together and head to the kitchen. His hand is on her hip and she’s feeling light, reaching up to kiss at his jaw, brushing her nose against his cheek as they stand in front of the fridge.

“I want cookies. Do you want cookies?” she says suddenly, wrenching herself out of his hold to pull open the fridge.

He takes a breath, a lazy smile permanently on his lips, and reaches up to thread his hand through his hair.

“Sweets for dinner, Swan?”

“Hey, it’s our place.” Emma tosses back, lifting her eyebrows playfully. “Our rules.”

He winks in response and her toes curl a little as she opens up the fridge to remove the tube of ready-made dough.

When she has the cookies in the oven, she turns to him, lifting her eyebrows. “What now? Do you want to watch TV or play Henry’s XBOX or…”

Killian shrugs as he sways toward her, his lips downturning as he tilts his head a bit. “Or we could go check something in the bedroom.”

“Oh? What’s there to check up there?”

He smirks wildly. “I dunno… perhaps the bed could use some _testing_.”

Emma’s teeth bite down on her lower lip and she narrows her eyes slightly at him. “Race you up there.”

As soon as her words are out, she’s taking off, running as fast as she can toward the stairway. Killian is hot on her trail, the laughter bubbling from his lips contagious as they race to the master bedroom.

When they arrive, she’s breathless, but she jumps up onto the bed, holding her hands up, prepared to fend him off, as she watches him from below.

He joins her, much to her surprise, and she widens her eyes, laughing louder, happier, as they end up both bouncing on the bed, ruining Killian’s neat and tidy bed making, pillows crashing to the floor as she tries to avoid being pinched in the side when he reaches out for her.

She ends up slipping on _something_ and her body crashes down, Killian’s coming shortly after when her leg gets caught in between his.

He groans and she breathlessly chuckles.

“I don’t think jumping on the bed is a very _adult_ thing to do.” He tells her coyly.

She laughs and takes a hand to his hair, sliding it down to his cheek, giving it a gentle pat. “It’s our place.”

“Our rules,” he teases with a roll of his eyes. “Aye. You’ve mentioned.”

His hand finds her hip and she kisses him slowly, pressing her forehead to his after.

“I don’t even remember the last time I jumped on the bed.” She tells him softly. “You’re like… five hundred, right? Jumping around on the bed must seem so childish to you.”

Killian snorts and when she pulls away, he rolls his eyes at her again. “I’m not _that_ old, Swan. And anyway, if we’re bringing up our pasts, what about you almost marrying that monkey?”

She groans, rolling onto her back. “God, will you ever let that go?”

“Nope,” he pops is ‘p’ and laughs softly. “And I don’t think jumping on the bed is childish. It’s quite fun. We should do it more often.”

Emma tosses her head to the side, and staring at him now has her thinking about how much she loves him, how he smiles at her, all lopsided and sweet, and how his eyes shine at her like she’s _everything_ and then some.

Killian is the first of them to make any real movement, pulling himself up over her, his knees on either side of her hips. She looks up at him, smirking a little at him while her fingers grab at his necklace as it hangs down.

“Hey,” she murmurs.

He moves in to kiss her and she takes one hand to clutch at his damp hair.

“Hello, love,” he speaks against her lips. One more kiss and then he’s hovering above again, tilting his head in thought. “You know what else would be fun to do?”

Emma can’t help but smile. “What?”

“Henry and I have this game we play sometimes downstairs on the hardwood floor-”

She arches an eyebrow as her toes wiggle in her socks. “Race you down there?”

He lifts his eyebrows and grins mischievously, then they’re both fumbling off of the bed, racing down to the living room, sock racing and eating cookies with Netflix playing in the background, kissing each other senseless in between it all, until they both get too tired to do anything else and end up collapsed on the floor.

This _home_ thing, she thinks when she wakes up to find that Killian has carried her to bed, his dark head of hair all but in her nose, is pretty great.


	22. little hands, the world is yours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "Emma and Killian dropping their daughter off at her first day of Kindergarten" and "Killian with their eldest child, who is about five, holding her/him over her/his siblings crib and explaining how the baby can’t play with them yet"

**little hands, the world is yours**

It’s simpler in the early morning hours, standing in the nursery, cradling the wee lad to his chest, humming as he holds a bottle to his lips. 

He’s been restless for the past week and it’s not because his son requires attention so often throughout the night. It’s quite the contrary, actually. His son is of the quieter variety and he tends to barely even fuss when he needs anything of any nature.

Killian focuses his attention on feeding the half asleep boy in his arms, watching as his tiny lids fall and his lips part. He sighs and heads toward the rocking chair, having a seat so he can sing him into sleep.

It’s something he’s become quite talented at. Early morning feedings, especially now, are something he’s become accustomed to. Patterns are cursedly very easy to fall into.

“I thought I heard you,” a soft voice draws his attention to the doorframe and he pulls on a smile.

“Sorry for waking you, Swan.“

She shakes her head, a smile riding her lips as well as she enters the room with her arms folded to her chest. “It’s fine. I miss hearing you sing lullabies.”

Killian drops his gaze to his son, finding him well asleep, and he sighs deeply as he rises again. He puts the boy into his crib, pulling the blanket over his form, taking his fingers over his thick brown head of hair.

“He’s such a good boy,” Emma remarks, moving to stand beside him. Her arm goes around his waist and he straightens, wrapping his arm around her before kissing the top of her head. “He reminds me a lot of you already.” 

They’re both staring at the sleeping boy in the crib, and he focuses on the rise and fall of his small chest, the way his little fingers curl into his palm, how his nose emits a noise. He’s still so small, still so innocent, without any fears or cares.

It feels like just yesterday he was born, but it’s already been a few months and it’s all catching up to Killian now.

“Come on, Daddy,” Emma whispers, her grip on his side tightening. “We have to get up in a few hours.” 

Killian groans a little and swallows, turning around with his wife so they can head toward their bedroom. 

..

“Daddy! Papa!” 

He’s ripped into life again and he inhales sharply, his eyes wide.

His little girl is bouncing by the side of his bed, her smile wider than he’s ever seen it, probably, and she’s still wearing the pajamas he’d helped her into the night before.

And it all comes back in waves. He’s overwhelmed with emotion, seeing her _so_  excited, tugging at the comforter of the bed, bouncing on the heels of her feet.

Killian fakes confusion, narrowing his eyes at her, trying to play it off as if this day isn’t bothering him one iota. “What is it, little love?”

She giggles, reaching for his hand. “Come on, Papa! It’s almost time for school!”

He manages to smile, though it’s a close thing, and he tosses his hand toward the open bedroom door. Emma is long gone. He supposes she must be up, in the kitchen preparing breakfast.

“Well, give me a minute, little one. I’ve got to get dressed.” 

She rolls her eyes in a way that reminds him _so_ much of Emma and he feels his heart clenching tight.

He’s not ready to let go of her yet. It’s been five years of getting to be with her every day, getting to play with her and teach her things, getting to talk to her and hear her giggles bouncing off of the walls.

And now she’s starting school, so that means it’s all going to be over soon, and he doesn’t think he can handle it.

“Okay, Daddy. But please _hurry_!” 

His daughter scampers out of the bedroom and he closes his eyes, pressing his hand over them, thinking that maybe lying in bed will delay the inevitable.

It’s funny that now that he’s been long since away from the damnation that is Neverland, all he wants to do is return, to keep his daughter at this age, where she’s sweet and gives him sloppy kisses and cuddles with him before bedtime. 

He does get up, begrudgingly, and when he reaches the kitchen, he finds Emma busily packing up their daughter’s backpack, while the little Mini Swan sits at the table, her hair tied up into two ponytails on the sides of her head, happily munching on her breakfast.

“Good morning, Daddy,” Emma says, and he knows she’s very well in tuned to him, because she has a teasing little smirk on her lips. 

“Morning,” he sighs. He pulls out his chair at the table and sits, turning to his little girl. 

She’s _so_  big. Much bigger than his son is, and it _isn’t fair._  It all happened too quickly and he doesn’t want to let her go.

He props his chin up on his hand as his elbow presses into the table and his daughter looks up at him, narrowing her eyes.

“What?” she asks.

Killian shakes his head, dropping his hand into his lap as he raises his eyebrows. “Do you know that pirates are allowed to tickle princesses when they’re growing up too quickly?” 

Her eyes widen and she squeaks when his hand pinches at her side teasingly. Her giggles are loud and Emma just smiles when he glances over at her.

“Does it help them stay young?” Emma asks.

He drops his hand and his smile, shaking his head. “Unfortunately, no. I’ve yet to find the Fountain of Youth, despite being the best captain in all of the realms.” 

His daughter laughs as she munches on her cereal.

It takes her twenty minutes to finish her breakfast and when she’s done, he takes her upstairs to help him prepare her baby brother for leaving the house. 

Killian hoists her into the air and holds her up above the crib so she can look down at the lad, who blinks and kicks his legs. “When can I play with him?” 

It isn’t the first time she’s asked and he wonders if she’s only doing it to humor him.

“Soon enough, he’ll be walking,” Killian sighs, and he knows it’s true. He’s holding proof of that in his arms. “And he’ll be excited to go to school, just like you.” 

He sets her back down on the floor beside him and she looks up at him, tilting her head. “Really?” 

He hums.

She looks over at the crib again. “It’s nicer when he’s small, Papa. I like him as a baby.” 

Killian chuckles, his heart squeezing tighter still. “As do I, little love.” 

..

It takes them quite a bit of time to get out of the house and on the way to school, but they eventually are, and Emma’s got the baby in that contraption that keeps him against her chest while they walk down the sidewalk of Main Street together.

His daughter is holding his hand, skipping a little, and she grins up at him when they reach her classroom door inside of the school.

“Daddy, I’m so excited.” 

Killian kneels down so he’s at her eye level, takes both of her hands into his, and smiles softly at her. “Just… be yourself, darling. I love you, and Mummy and Liam love you. You’ll be absolutely _brilliant._ I know you will.” 

She smiles, cocking her head onto her shoulder, her dimples popping out of her cheeks. “I love you too, Daddy.” 

He feels tears burning at the back of his eyes, but he rejects them, holding his arms open for her to step into. She does, her little arms going around his neck, and he breathes her in deep, trying to remember that she’s not suddenly going to warp into a full-blown teenager while she’s at school.

When she steps back, he leans in and kisses her forehead. “Be good.” 

“I will,” she grins. She bounces over to Emma and wraps her arms around her legs. “Bye bye, Mommy. See you later!” 

“Okay,” Emma chuckles. “I love you.” 

“Love you too,” the girl at his knee chirps.

He stares at her, in her navy blue dress with the yellow bow wrapped around her middle, white anchors adorning it preciously.

She blinks up at them with her big beautiful blue eyes and for some reason, all he can see is his baby girl, the one he’d held in the hospital room, so fresh and red, squeaking and crying. 

As she goes into her classroom, Killian steps to the side with his wife, tears that were once burning in his eyes now leaking free.

“Oh, Killian,” Emma teases, bumping him in the hip. “Are you crying?” 

“I’m not crying,” he insists, shaking his head. “I’ve just got something in my eye.” 

Emma smiles and reaches for his hand, easily tangling their fingers. “She has to grow up sometime.” 

..

They go do their weekly errands together, stopping at Granny’s, the station, the store, and finally back home. Between helping Emma with the menial tasks and attending to Liam when she’s talking to David about something, Killian really shouldn’t feel as if the oxygen has been sucked out of his lungs. But it does.

His daughter is perfectly fine, and he knows she is, Emma’s promised him several times that she is, but he can’t help missing her happy little presence beside him.

He’s worried, mostly, because he wants to be there to protect her, wants to hold her hand and be the one to chase away the mean children or the things that make her cry. He wants to be there to kiss her tear-streaked cheeks if she falls and hurts herself. And he can’t be if he’s putting the groceries away while Emma feeds Liam in the living room.

“I think I should go back to work,” Emma tells him.

And it’s another reason for his gut to twist violently. “Really? So soon?” 

“Killian, it’s already been three months. And it’s not like you’d have your hands full if you stayed home by yourself anymore.” 

“Aye,” he sighs, setting the box of cereal into the cabinet.

He turns to check the time, anxious for it to be time to leave again, so he can wrap his arm around his little girl and hold her tight.

Emma chuckles. “She’s going to be fine, Killian. She’s smart and she’s strong and she knows who her daddy is. She’s probably having so much fun and you’re going to feel foolish when she comes home later with a million things to tell you.” 

Killian sighs, leaning back against the counter. “I suppose you’re right.” 

..

It turns out that Emma _is_  right. 

The two of them and Liam go to the school to pick her up, waiting outside with the other parents, and when the door bursts open and children come scampering out, it takes but a minute for him to spot his little girl, smiling from ear to ear, holding a piece of paper in her hand. 

“Mommy! Daddy!” she calls, rushing so fast he fears she’ll trip. 

His daughter comes to a halt in front of him, breathing fast, her eyes wide.

“How was school, little duck?” Emma asks.

His daughter beams up at him. “It was so fun,” she says enthusiastically. “Daddy, look what I made you.” 

Killian crouches down and takes the picture into his hand, giving it a long look. She eagerly points at it. “Here’s me, and you, and Mommy, and Liam, and Henry!” 

He can’t help the smile, or the warmth that fills his chest, at the sight of the image his daughter has crafted. It’s all scribbles and half attempts at stick figures, and there are hearts _everywhere_ , and maybe it’s because of that, but he feels much better about her being at school on her own.

He looks up at her expectant face and smiles. “It’s perfect, little love. Thank you.” 

Her little eyes brighten. “I missed you, Daddy.” 

“I missed you more,” Killian teases, leaning in to kiss her cheek.

He uses his position in front of her to hoist her up with him, her squeaks of surprise music to his ears. She wraps herself around his hip, her arm wrapping around his neck.

“Mommy, I missed you too.” 

Emma smiles softly at him, then at their daughter. “I missed you too, baby.” 

She has a million and one things to tell him, yammering on as they walk home, and it takes her until bedtime, when he’s sitting on the edge of her bed, pulling the blankets up on her lap, for her to say through her yawns, “I liked school, Daddy. Can I go again?”

He chuckles. “Aye, Sweetheart. You can go again tomorrow.”

She smiles sleepily at him, then bounces up, wrapping her arms around his neck. He breathes her in deep, taking his hand to her back, squeezing her tight.

“Can you tell me a story?” she asks, lying back in her bed.

He takes a deep breath and moves in to tuck her under her blankets. “Which one would you like to hear?”

“The princess and the pirate, please,” she smiles, all dimples and baby teeth.

He chuckles lowly. “As you wish.”

When he glances over at the bedroom door, he finds Emma smiling knowingly at them, as she always does.

As he’s settling in to tell his daughter the magnificent tale of the pirate whose heart was forever changed by the light of the princess, he finds it much easier to breathe at the way the little girl fades into sleep at the lull of his voice.

He leans in and brushes a kiss to her forehead after he tucks her sheets up close to her chin, making sure she has her favorite stuffed toy, and rises, staring down at her with a swelling of pride in his chest.

There’s so much of him in her, he sees it every day, and he’s thankful for it, because he knows it’ll make her strong.

“She’s going to be just fine,” Emma tells him quietly.

He stares at their daughter with just as much admiration as he had when she lay in her cradle, and he watches as her chest rises and falls with sleep, dreams already floating in her head of pirates and princesses and happy endings.

“Aye. I know she will.”


	23. lovers dance (when they're feeling in love)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: domestic cs fluff!

**lovers dance (when they're feeling in love)**

She’s standing in the kitchen and music is playing on the radio. She’s swaying her hips to the rhythm, the notes of the song caught in her throat and tumbling  from her lips.

She’s beautiful like this, his Swan.

She’s bathed in the sunlight of the morning coming in from the kitchen window above the sink, her body relaxed in her light weekend wear.

Her hair is a golden waterfall, cascading over her shoulders and dusting along her back as she sways.

He almost doesn’t want to disrupt her. She’s in her happy place, something he’s seen missing from her in the past, but now she’s embracing it.

This place, their _home_ , is bright and warm, and he feels at ease standing in the entryway to their kitchen.

Emma glances over her shoulder by chance and a smile fills her cheeks as she drops what she’s doing in the sink, wiping her hands on a towel, and crosses the room to take his.

He’s amused and _happy_ , watching her eagerly as she sways those hips of hers, the words to the song flooding from her lips as she guides him in dance.

She laughs, obviously surprised, when he takes the lead, twirling her around in a tight circle so that he ends up holding her from behind, her laughter still vibrating against him. He presses a kiss to her cheek and nuzzles his nose into her neck, breathing her in deep, smiling because he can’t do anything else.

Happiness like he has with Emma is hard to come by and he’s not keen to forget that.

Emma turns to him a moment later with her hands on his chest and a big smile on her lips.

He smiles in return, studying her each and every line and freckle, not wanting to forget the way joy lights up her face, or the way _love_ fills her eyes.

“Hi,” she says, and it’s the easiest, most hopeful word, the way she says it. 

“Good morning, love.”

Emma’s hands snake up his shoulders and she wraps her arms around his neck, breathing in a contented sigh as she drops her head to her shoulder just slightly.

“You okay?”

He gives her a playful look. “Aye. Of course I am.”

Emma’s fingers play at the ends of his hair and she creeps up onto her toes, easily brushing her lips against his.

It’s a sweet kiss, tasting of cocoa and cinnamon, and he can’t help but lick his lips as soon as she falls back into her feet again.

Emma bites down on her lip when he looks at her, all soft expression and unburdened shoulders.

He’s glad that she’s found rest. After all that she’s been through, after all that they’ve been through together, it’s a wonder she’s able to smile at all.

But then he remembers why, when she sighs, “I love you,” into his neck, falling into his arms so they’re holding onto one another.

Killian’s heart skips a beat. He thinks it might _always_ do that when she tells him how she feels, because she’s said it to him dozens of times now and his reaction is still the same.

“I love you too.” He murmurs in reply. His cheeks are warm and his heart is racing, and she snuggles closer.

Emma steps back after a few moments and smiles softly, taking hold of his hand.

“Come on,” She starts tugging him forward. “Let’s go for a walk. It’s not every Saturday we’re free from villains and mayhem.”

Killian nods, his smile spreading somehow further. “As you wish.”


	24. in my heart reconcile all the darkness and light

**in my heart reconcile all the darkness and light**

“Did you have a nightmare?” Emma asks the infant, whose little eyes are squeezed tight.

The child stirs and makes a noise as she stretches her arms, curling them up close to her face. She stops squirming and Emma smiles softly, pressing her hand to the back of her head.

“When the nightmares come, you have to think about the good things,” she continues softly, her thumb soothing over her soft dark hair. 

Emma shifts closer to her, soaking her in as they lie in bed together. Behind her, Killian rests, his quiet snore making evident his dream state. “I think about your daddy, and how much he loves me. How he fought for me even when it felt like we lost everything.”

Emma shuts her eyes at the awful memories that flicker in the back of her mind, the nightmares that haunt her dreams. She opens her eyes again a beat later, staring into the peaceful expression on her baby daughter’s face, the pure good that strikes out the dark.

“I think about Henry,” Emma whispers, “and how much he loves me. How he brought me home.” She takes a gentle breath, thinking on all that she has in her life. “And I think about my parents and my brother, about my friends, and how I’m not alone anymore.” Emma can’t help but smile, sliding her hand down from the little girl’s head and placing it on her back. “Mostly I think about you, little one.”

She smiles, a wobbly thing, her eyes soaking in every line and shape on her daughter’s face as if she doesn’t already have her completely memorized.

“I think about your eyes, and your fingers, and your toes. How it felt when you kicked me the first time. How you sounded when you were born. How your daddy looked when he held you in his arms the first time. ”

She gets tears in her eyes at the mere memory, still tender and fresh. Emma swallows and licks her lips. She slides forward so she can press her nose against her daughter’s.

“I love you,” she breathes, hoping with everything in her that this little light will feel it in her heart even now.

Emma moves back again just enough that she can keep her eyes trained on the little girl.

Killian shifts in bed, curling his body into hers, his chin in the crook of her neck. His arm wraps snugly around her middle and she feels _safe_.

“Did you have a nightmare?” he asks softly.

Emma settles her hand against his and shakes her head. “No.” She pauses, listening as their daughter breathes from the spot on the bed beside her. “You?”

“I haven’t had one in a long while,” he admits. 

He’s quiet for a few moments and then slides his hand away from her to settle it against their daughter’s back, his thumb rubbing soothing circles when she stirs slightly.

Emma sighs softly. “Do you think it’s over?”

“I think…” He pauses, holding her closer, his lips pressing against her cheek. “I think we have more hope than we know what to do with.” He pauses again and Emma closes her eyes peacefully. “And that’s more than alright with me.”


	25. be still

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mommy!emma fluff!

**be still**

The baby is warm.

Her soft little fingers grip at the collar of Emma’s shirt and she presses her forehead against Emma’s cheek as she stretches and squirms to get comfortable.

Emma rubs the little girl’s back and presses a kiss to her forehead, murmuring words of affirmation to her, praying that she’ll fall asleep, because Emma’s _exhausted._

She hasn’t slept well in a while.

The last few days of pregnancy kept her up and restless, and then her water broke in the middle of the night, bringing them to the hospital and delivering this little girl she has pressed against her chest now, weeks after the fact.

Feedings and changings in the middle of the night have kept her bouncing from her bed to the baby’s crib in a successful attempt at completely destroying every semblance of _sleep_ she knows and loves.

Thankfully, she has Killian’s help. He insists on waking up with her and helping her change their daughter if she needs it, and sometimes he’ll sit up with Emma if she has to feed their daughter.

The baby loves to sleep in any number of locations and positions.

She’s taken to falling asleep in her parents’ arms, and in her grandparents’ arms when they’re over for a visit. Sometimes she’ll fall asleep in Henry’s arms and Henry just gets a goofy grin on his face while he stares down at his little baby sister.

Her favorite place to sleep is probably lying on Killian’s chest with his arm around her and his lips in her hair, and he doesn’t mind it either, so Emma just watches them with her heart swelling as she lies in their bed.

The mid afternoon sun filters in through their windows and warms the room somehow even more than it already is, with their hearts so full and their baby so delightfully sweet and cuddly.

She meets his tired eyes as they lie in bed sometimes in disbelief, because somehow they made this little life. Somehow, against all odds, they found their happy ending with each other and the family they’re creating.

He smiles at her in those moments of awestruck wonder, his lips curling in a way she’s grown used to, and she delights in the way his eyes get creases by them, and in the way he thumbs a circle over their daughter’s back.

Gone are the rings he used to wear. He’d told her once that he didn’t need them, because they were only a reminder of the darkness in his past, and now that he has her and this life, the past is a shadow, gone behind him.

“All that remains is the present and our future,” he’d said. “The mistakes I made in the past aren’t who I am now. It’s time to move on from them.”

She isn’t sure truer words could be spoken, especially watching the once feared Captain Hook changing an incredibly dirty diaper with such skill that it can only be due to so much practice.

Emma begins to hum as she sits on the couch with the baby tucked against her chest.

The sunlight coming in through the windows is gentle, obstructed only by the white curtains that hang in the way, and the sound of the radio in the kitchen fills the home with a sense of fullness, even if it’s just the three of them in it right now.

Killian’s doing the laundry, and she had been working on the dishes, but then the baby had burst into hungry sobs and she’d had to sit down to feed her before burping and soothing her now.

The baby always seems to be up for cuddling, and Emma can’t disagree with her on that, because even if she should be cleaning up their house for her parents to show up later, getting to rest for a little while with a warm and snuggly baby isn’t a bad deal at all.

Emma loves this little girl, with her bright blue eyes and dark head of hair. She’s a perfect mixture of both she and Killian, with her father’s nose and her chin.

There’s something so wonderful about having a baby now that she has the ability to pour out all of her love and energy into caring for a new life.

The pregnancy had been generally amazing, thanks to her ridiculously doting husband, who insisted upon practically carrying her everywhere when the last trimester came around.

He’s a loon, but she loves him all the more for it.

She hadn’t had this with Henry, not for real, and she knows he doesn’t resent her for it, because he’s assured her time and time again that he loves the life he has now. But his assurances don’t make this any easier- this whole first time mother to a newborn shtick.

She’s pretty much always tired and she doesn’t think she’s changed clothes for a few days. The house is a general mess and the only thing she’d eaten today were two cookies that her mom brought over a week ago.

They were stale, but Emma cringed through it and had a sip of coffee in an attempt to wake up.

“It’s okay, shhh,” she whispers when the baby fusses. “Mommy’s here. I’ve got you.”

Slowly, the baby falls asleep, and Emma smiles a little because of it, her eyes falling closed as she brushes another kiss to her daughter’s head.

She hears footsteps creaking along the hardwood floors and looks up at the doorway expectantly, not let down when Killian enters the room. He has a sweet smile on his lips and love in his eyes; something she’d discovered a long time ago was a natural occurrence for him when he’s comfortable and _home_.

“She’s asleep?”

Emma nods her head, smiling because she can’t help it. “Yeah.”

She watches as her husband comes to the couch. He lifts her legs and settles himself down below her feet. His fingers knead the arch of her foot and he just stares up at her with adoration while he rests his head back against the top of the sofa.

“You tired?” she teases, earning a soft laugh from the pirate.

“Aye,” he admits. His tired eyes smile back at her. “Though I don’t have any complaints about that because our little one has been well worth the tiredness.”

Emma hums, smiling just a little as she cranes her head to glance down at the sleeping baby pressed against her. She rubs a circle into her back and breathes her in deep, relishing the pure scent of baby that fills her nostrils.

“She’s worth everything,” Emma agrees, settling her head on her other shoulder, pressing against the back of the couch.

And she’s not just thinking about the tiredness, or the pain of childbirth, or the nine months she’d carried this little life inside of her.

She’s thinking about every length she’d go to make sure that this perfect blend of she and Killian will be able to have a safe and happy life. One void of monsters or big bad villains, but instead filled with a warm home with two parents that adore her.

The littlest Jones girl has much more family than she’ll know what to do with, and Emma loves that, but she especially loves that they can have moments like this, where she’s curled up on her chest sound asleep.

It’s clear that her daughter already loves her quite a bit, but Emma thinks she loves her even more than that.

“Aye,” Killian says, his eyes settling on the baby. He wears a small smirk on his lips and his finger swipes over the arch of her foot one more time. “I’d go to the end of the world for her.”

She closes her eyes, sighing happily. “Or time?”

“Aye, love.” His warm voice is quiet and low, with just a hint of tiredness. “Or time.”


	26. hold me tightly, in your arms

**hold me tightly, in your arms**

He probably should’ve known she would be a dancer. 

Emma often told him that she was moving around restlessly while she was pregnant and even as a newborn, she would kick her legs about.

Emma’s sleeping when he descends to the first floor early one morning. The baby had kept them up most of the night, but Killian’s used to it now. 

He runs his fingers through his hair and shuffles into the kitchen to start the coffee machine. His sleeping pants hang low on his hips and his tee shirt is still a little cool and wrinkled from when he grabbed it from the floor.

It’s as he’s leaning against the counter, a yawn cracking his jaw, that he hears her little singing voice coming from the other room.

Curious, he walks toward the living room and leans against the door jamb when he discovers her twirling and hopping around in the pool of light coming in from the front windows.

She giggles happily between measures of song and lands gracefully in the rays of sunlight.

Killian smiles to himself and waits for her to notice him with his arms folded against his chest.

She looks up eventually, a grin tugging at her cheeks at the sight of him. She hurries forward and he has to admire how she’s dressed herself in one of her favorite dresses. She even tried something with her hair.

“Daddy, can you dance with me?” she asks.

She’s staring up at him with those sweet, big blue eyes. Her fingers grab onto his, tugging at him while she grins and bounces up and down.

He thumbs over her tiny fingers and takes a breath of the morning. “I’d be delighted, Your Highness.”

Killian walks with her to the sunlight on the hard floor and she hops up onto his bare feet while her fingers hold onto his tightly.

Slowly, they move back and forth in a circle in the warmth of the new morning. 

He swears he’s never seen anything as beautiful as his little daughter giggling with the sun in her hair. 

Joy swells in his chest. He wishes he could keep and hold this moment for the rest of his life and he’s determined to remember every crinkle of delight creasing the corners of his daughters face, every word she murmurs, and every second she spends gazing into his eyes.

“Daddy, you’re _so_ good at dancing,” she compliments him.

Killian chuckles. “And so are you, little love.”

She suddenly stops moving and clings to his leg instead. Killian smiles and cups the back of her head gently.

At the sound of the floors creaking from the other room, he looks up at the doorway. He discovers Emma watching them with a certain joy in the green of her tired eyes. She’s holding the baby against her hip and she brushes a kiss against his head.

“Mommy!” the toddler takes off. “Good morning!”

Emma smiles warmly and reaches down to touch the girl’s unruly hair. “Good morning. You’re up early.”

“Mhm!” She dances her way into the main entry as Killian reaches Emma.

“I’ll take him,” Killian offers.

Emma leaves a parting kiss to the boy’s head before handing him off. 

He’s warm and soft when Killian holds him against his chest. He brushes a kiss against his forehead and breathes him in deep.

“I think Her Royal Highness is calling for us,” Emma says when their daughter chirps their names.

“Ah, but of course,” Killian grins. He leans in to kiss his wife. “Morning, darling.”

Emma smiles. “Morning. Should I be jealous of the dancing?”

“Why should you be jealous?” Killian teases. They start walking toward the kitchen together.

“I don’t know…” Emma shrugs. “I just haven’t danced with a dashing pirate in a while.”

Killian hums thoughtfully. 

They’re in the kitchen now. Emma goes to grab the cereal from the cabinet and he gets a couple of bowls. Killian settles his son into his highchair and he eagerly pats his hands on the tray.

When he returns to Emma, he catches her hand when she starts to grab for the spoon drawer. Her eyes widen just a little and her eyebrows arch in confusion, but he just starts to dance with her.

There’s nothing quite like her laughter when he twirls her around. Her hair glows golden from the light coming through the window and her sweet smile mirrors his own.

Their daughter loves the sight before her. She gasps and claps and wants to somehow join them, so she wraps her arms around their legs, only ending in more laughter from all of them.

In an instant, Emma holds their daughter and begins dancing with her to the rhythm of a song that comes from the speakers of her phone.

It’s this, Killian thinks, that he was searching for when his heart felt heavy years and years ago. It wasn’t ever about the Crocodile. He just needed dancing and laughter in the golden rays of morning light. He just needed home.


	27. cooking

**cooking**

“You’re going to burn it!” Emma laughs.

“Burn it? Whatever are you on about?”

She sides up next to Killian, who stands at the stove with his sleeves rolled up, laughing lines creasing his eyes and dimples in his cheeks. 

Emma turns the dial down on the stove heat and giggles, settling her hands on Killian’s arm while she studies the pan of cooking sauce.

“Just… keep it at a normal level.” Emma says.

She meets his eyes, smiling teasingly at the man. Her heart feels full and she’s happy, because their house is about to be host to company- their family is coming over for dinner.

Music fills the background and Emma can hear Henry getting ready upstairs. Violet’s joining them for dinner tonight, and it should get really interesting quite fast, considering who’s going to be at the table.

Emma watches as Killian settles the lid over the gently bubbling pot of sauce. He turns to her, grinning, and she bites on her lip while she thinks about the next step.

She goes to the box of noodles on the counter, but Killian has his hand and hook on her hips and she’s laughing while he presses her back against it instead. She smiles against his lips in a hungry kiss and laughter bubbles out of her throat as he nuzzles her neck.

“We’re making dinner,” she reminds him, her hands cupping his cheeks. She pulls him back into view and searches his eyes.

There’s a softness there that she can’t get enough of.

“Emma Swan, will you marry me?” he asks, for the hundredth time since their engagement.

His words have complete earnestness and passion behind them, as if he hadn’t asked her a few hours ago when she was calling him to check and see if he’d go shopping, or earlier that morning when they lay in their bed, responsibility beckoning even as their noses bumped.

“Yes,” she tells him. Her heart still skips a beat, glancing at the ring on her finger. She nods her head. “Yes, Killian.”

Emma’s fingers slide behind his head, grabbing onto his hair. She gives it a gentle tug and she closes her eyes when he sets his forehead against hers.

This is everything. 

Preparing a dinner for her family with her fiancé. Taking his hand and twirling to the sounds of the song on the radio. Giggling when he shows off his one-handed juggling skills.

The house is warmer than it’s ever been before. So much is just as it should be and she’s never going to get over how good that feels.


	28. late night at sea

**late night at sea**

She’s barely three weeks old when, in the middle of the night with her little lungs wearing out from all of the screaming and tears, Killian makes the decision to bring her out to the Jolly.

Emma, just as tired and fed up with the hours of trial and error, agrees to go, grabbing everything she can think she might need out on the ship before she slips into her shoes and cradles the baby against her chest, trying fruitlessly to stop her cries.

“She’ll be alright,” Killian assures her. “If she’s anything like her father, the sea will calm her.”

He’s right.

As soon as Emma stands on the deck of the Jolly Roger, the baby begins to sober up. Her eyes, bright and blue, stare past Emma, up at the stars, even if she can’t quite see them yet.

Emma takes a deep breath of the night. She turns to her husband, who smiles at her slightly. His hair is a riotous mess- pulled from each and every direction as he dealt with the cries of their newborn daughter.

“Does this make you happy?” Emma asks the little girl. “Being on Daddy’s ship?”

Her daughter makes a fist and hits her nose when she leans in close enough. Emma smiles, she can’t help it, and leaves a kiss to the baby’s forehead.

She straightens up and Killian settles his hand on her back, giving it a gentle and soothing rub as she leans into him.

He smells pretty bad- Daddy Duty looks good on him, but it doesn’t smell it. His eyes are tired, and yet she knows he wouldn’t trade anything for this. They have a precious little girl together.

“Maybe we should move out here.” Emma suggests as she listens to the soothing sounds of the water at night. It’s so calming she might just fall asleep standing up.

Killian chuckles. “I don’t know. I’m quite attached to our house and I’m not sure bunking in a tiny cabin with the pair of us and our newborn would be nearly as comfortable.”

Emma watches as their daughter’s eyes fall closed and lowers a kiss to her head.

“I thought you loved your ship.” Emma teases playfully, looking up at her husband with a twinkle in her eye.

Killian gazes at her with sheer honesty and shakes his head. “I love you, and I love our family, Emma. Don’t think I’d ever trade that for anything else.”

“I don’t.” Emma promises. She leaves a kiss to his cheek and leans against him again before she turns her attention to the baby in her arms. “I wouldn’t trade anything either.”


	29. ticklish

**ticklish**

If you told Emma when she was young that she’d one day be engaged to be married to a ticklish pirate, she would never have believed it.

But now, as she pinches his side just so she can watch his body convulse under waves of laughter, she finds that she absolutely _adores_ it.

“Stop that, now!” he laughs, his words spoken half-heartedly. As if he doesn’t mind that they’re lying on the floor beside their bed, her body half on top of his while she pinches and teases him with her fingers. “I’m ticklish!”

“You’re ticklish?” Emma teases. “Really?”

Emma giggles, feeling his palm slide against her back until he’s touching her side too. When he touches her just right, she yelps, legs flailing, and she throws her head back just so she can look at him while they both laugh breathlessly.

She stares at him, her laughter fading easily. Emma runs her teeth over her lower lip and sets her hand over Killian’s heart. She feels it racing, fast and even as his chest heaves for breath.

“How’d we end up here?” she asks.

Killian laughs once. His mouth hangs open. “I… believe you were the one who started this, with the ‘ _Killian, help me grab something under the bed!_ ’ nonsense.”

Emma snorts. “Not nonsense. There was something.”

Her fiance hums. He pinches her side and her body flinches as she laughs. Killian glances under the bed and shakes his head.

“Well, I don’t see anything, so as far as I’m concerned you called me in here so we could get into a tickle fight on the floor.”

Emma raises a challenging eyebrow. “Is there something wrong with that?”

His tongue presses against the corner of his lips as a smile spreads.

Emma determinedly works herself over him, pressing her hands on either side of his head while she studies the lines of his face.

Man, she loves him.

“There may be a way… for me to forgive you for such an unfair advantage you had over me.” Killian says playfully. He has a devious eyebrow raised and it makes her laugh.

“Yeah?” Emma murmurs. She searches his eyes, watching as he nods.

“Perhaps… a kiss.”

Emma hums. “Perhaps.”

With smiles on their faces, he boosts himself just enough to bump noses with her. Emma closes her eyes. She can feel his lips brush against hers just barely and his fingers trail along her side, threatening to make her laugh again.

She kisses him, fully expecting what happens next.

He tickles her.

“Hey!” Emma giggles against his lips.

Killian hums happily and kisses her with more passion before mumbling, “Ticklish, Swan?”

“Little bit.” She whispers. “But so are you.”


	30. painting the house

**painting the house**

“What are you doing?” Emma asks cautiously. She turns, looking at her pirate as he grins from ear-to-ear, a paintbrush in hand dripping with the new color for the guest bedroom.

Killian swipes the paintbrush against the wall and bites on his lip, hiding a smile as he shakes his head. “Not a thing, my love.”

Emma hums. “I _swore_ I felt you put some paint on my shirt.”

“Well, you’re the one who said they were your _painting clothes_.” Killian teases, his eyebrows lifted high on his forehead.

Emma scoffs and looks at her own paint brush, dripping with paint that she has yet to put on the wall. She watches as her husband dips the paintbrush again and he applies a stripe to the wall.

“I can feel you staring at me,” Killian says playfully.

“Yeah?” Emma teases. She touches the paintbrush with her fingertips and reaches up to dab his cheek with the paint.

“Oh, it’s war, is it?” he asks in his most playfully demanding tone.

Immediately, he retaliates, practically tackling her while he pokes her lightly against her own cheek.

Emma can’t stop laughing and neither can he, making this infinitely more fun as they chase each other around the room with their paintbrushes pointed at each other.

Eventually, she can hear Henry down the hall, talking with her parents as they help paint his room a softer, warmer color. It helps her come back to earth, giggling as she curls into her husband’s open arm.

“Truce?”

“Okay, truce.” Emma gazes up at him. She bites on her lip and then presses her paintbrush to his nose, making him scrunch it up at her. She laughs happily and slips away from him, hands held up in front of her. “Okay, I’m done, I swear.”

Killian gives her a weary look, but slowly a smile spreads as he winks at her. “What am I going to do with you, Mrs. Jones?”

Emma shrugs. “I don’t know.”

Killian sighs. “I suppose I’ll keep you.”

She can’t keep the smile from her lips as they continue where they’d left off with the wall. “Good.”


	31. first steps

**first steps**

“Oh, you’re doing it! You’re standing!” Emma gasps, grinning at the gummy smile on her little baby girl’s face. “Good job, duckling!”

The baby holds onto the side of the couch with one hand and Emma watches as her little knees wobble. She’s been doing this on-and-off for a few days now, and Emma’s been so sure their little girl will start walking.

“Killian!” she calls out. “Honey, I think it’s going to happen!”

She hears Killian hurry in from the other room, his stride almost comical when he slides into the room with a breathless look on his face. He’s wearing his new favorite black tee shirt and jeans and when he steps into view, their daughter immediately flexes her fingers in his direction.

Killian gasps happily. “Are you doing it, my love? Are you going to show us that you can walk?”

Emma watches as her husband goes around the couch to the opposite side of her. Their daughter stares at him with bright affection and she turns toward him, making a happy noise.

“That’s right, come here, sweetheart.” Killian says, kneeling down and extending his arms to welcome her.

The little girl wobbles a little and Emma smiles, grabbing her phone so she can record the moment and share it with everyone she possibly can.

“Come on,” Killian says hopefully. “Come to Daddy, little one.”

She takes her time, but her knee bends just enough and she steps toward him, encouraging Killian to beam from ear-to-ear at his daughter.

“Yay!” they both cheer.

“Just a few more steps, darling,” Killian says, giving the little girl a comforting nod.

She looks over toward Emma when she goes another step forward and Emma grins. “Good job! You’re so close!”

The baby toddles toward Killian and when she’s close enough, Killian wraps his arms around her and leaves kisses to her cheeks while Emma cheers.

“You did it!”

Emma turns her phone off and then goes to join Killian and their daughter just as he’s standing up with her in his arms. She squeezes her little toes and kisses her cheek, resulting in a giggle.

Emma meets Killian’s gaze then. “So what do I owe you, Mr. She’ll-Walk-Sometime-Tomorrow?”

Killian laughs happily. He admires their daughter and then her. “You owe me not a thing, Swan. Anything I could ever want I already have.”

Emma hums. She steps up onto her toes and kisses him chastely, but lingers long enough that their daughter babbles loudly in their ears.

They both laugh and pull apart.

“Do you want to keep walking?” Emma asks the baby.

She just calls out, making Killian chuckle. He leaves a kiss to the side of her head and settles her back onto the floor.

“She’s going to be into everything soon enough.” Emma shakes her head. “What’s going to happen when she starts running?”

Killian wraps his arm around Emma and she gazes up at him. They’re getting pretty good at this parenting thing. She can hardly believe they’re this lucky, that they can have a chance at raising a child of their own.

“We’ll be ready to catch her, don’t you think?” Killian asks. 

She’s reminded of their vows to one another- that they’d do all things together, no matter how difficult. It’s how they got to this point, after all. 

A smile spreads on her face. “Yeah. I think so.”


	32. duckling

**duckling**

There’s a foreign sound, of splashing and chirping, coming from the kitchen sink, and Emma treads with caution as she enters the room.

Killian stands at the sink, soap suds splashing over the sides, and he seems panicked, reaching into the sink and muttering under his breath.

Emma tilts her head curiously, nearing the situation with a practiced finesse. She sees something brown and yellow in her husband’s hand by the time she changes vantage points, and by then he sees her.

His cheeks and ears burn red and his eyes grow wide. “Swan. Hi. I was just…”

Emma nears the sink and crosses her arms. “Washing a live bird in our kitchen sink.”

She shrugs- she supposes it could be much worse.

“I… went for a walk and there was a duckling,” Killian sighs, gesturing to the one in his hand, “that followed me on my way back home. I looked for his mother, but I couldn’t find her anywhere. So…”

He sighs again, looking at the duckling with a mixture of sadness and uncertainty.

Emma can’t help but laugh. It’s a silly sight- the former Captain Hook standing in a kitchen, practically drenched with soapy water while he maternally tends to a lost duckling. Even funnier is the vision of him trying to get home but being followed by a little quacking bird that just wouldn’t leave him alone.

She finds it heartwarming, as much as she could keep laughing at the vision in her mind. She smiles at her husband and pushes up on her toes to kiss his cheek.

“We can clean it up, but we’re going to release it after.” Emma says diplomatically.

Killian nods in agreement. “I suppose.”

Emma gives her husband a look as she slips a pair of gloves on. “What? You thought we could keep it?”

He shrugs comically. “It seems to like me, is all, and I think we could prepare, perhaps, for when we have a… _duckling_ of our own.”

Her mouth falls open and she laughs. “Ducks are different than babies, Killian.”

“I know,” Killian says. “But… you know…”

He’s blushing again and Emma thinks he’s adorable, so she kisses his cheek again and gazes at him sweetly.

“I know what you mean.”

Killian looks at her then, slightly embarrassed, and she knows he’s tempted to scratch behind his ear, but he refrains, instead looking at the duckling in their kitchen sink.

“Should we give him a name?” Killian asks.

Emma takes a look at the duckling and ponders it thoughtfully. A smile spreads on her face. “We should call him Cinnamon.”

When she peers up at her husband, he wears a happy grin. “Cinnamon it is.”


	33. wedding

**wedding**

“Shall we dance?” he asks, that eyebrow arched as he holds out his hand for her to take. **  
**

Emma can’t help but smile as she stands in the arms of her new husband, her chest about to explode with the sheer love and adoration she has for him. 

He’s very good at this- dancing. He takes the lead and holds on tight, guiding their dance on the dock while music plays. Their bodies are close and warm, and all she can see is him.

This isn’t the first time they’ve danced tonight, but somehow, it feels like it’s the first time they’ve danced at all.

“So what do you think?” she asks, smiling brighter at the confused look that befalls him.

“Of what?”

Emma laughs and her cheeks feel just a little bit warmer. “Of all of this. We’re kind of… married now.”

Killian laughs and nods. “Aye. We’re kind of married now.”

Emma can’t help but laugh again. He’s her _husband_. She’s his _wife_.

It all came together so quickly with the endless and tireless efforts of her parents and she finds that she’s never been more grateful for that. Even if she wanted to wait a little longer, to cherish a future with Killian in a time of less chaos, she doesn’t think she could have. She loves him just a little too much to wait.

“I’m happy,” Killian says, finally answering her question with ease. “Incredibly happy.”

Emma rests her head against his shoulder and they continue to sway. “Me too.”

They stay like this for a while, listening to the sounds of happy chattering from their friends and family, the music, and the sea.

Emma perks her head up when Killian says, “So, my wife.”

“Yes, my _husband_?” she smiles wryly.

Killian grins wickedly at her. His hand slips away from her waist and he finds her hand, their wedding bands bumping with a gentle clink.

“What do you say we thank our guests and begin our honeymoon?”

Emma hums a laugh and presses her lips against his. “I think that’s a great idea.”


	34. sleepy cuddles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: sleepy cuddles (bc I'm really in the mood for some tooth rotting fluff right now)

**sleepy cuddles**

Somehow in sleep, the blankets of the queen-sized bed became untucked from the end, so instead of her toes being warm beneath them, Emma’s toes hang out in the cool air. **  
**

She wiggles her toes and a heavy sigh fills her lungs only to be huffed out into the corner of her pillow.

When Emma rolls over, she finds the bright blue eyes of her pirate staring back at her. A small smile fills his lips as his eyelids fall closed again.

He looks so young, with bedhead that presses his hair down and out everywhere possible. Without the guyliner or the weight of the world on his shoulders, he seems peaceful and gentle.

It’s probably the thing she loves most about him.

Emma pulls her legs up beneath the covers and scoots close to him. Her toes bump into his as her head goes to the place beneath his chin. He knows better than to complain about her cold toes, but he does jerk his away from hers before his arms wrap around her to hold her tight.

“I had a dream we were painting one of the bedrooms.”

Emma can’t help but smile, bumping it against his neck while a soft laugh rumbles through her chest. It’s such a domestic dream for him to have. She knows most of his dreams aren’t as gentle or easy as this one seems.

When she closes her eyes, she feels his fingers soothing circles against her back while she breathes him in deep. He smells like the minty toothpaste they share and the soap she’d bought a few weeks ago.

“Which bedroom?” She’s half asleep, but she genuinely wants to know.

“Hmm…” Killian’s fingers fall slightly and he kisses her head. “Think it was the one across the hall. We painted it a lovely shade of gold.”

Emma considers it in her mind’s eye. She moves her hand where it rests against his heart. “Sounds nice.”

“Aye,” he whispers. “It was.”

She clings to him then, content in the moment.

“Henry was there,” Killian adds quietly. “And you were…” He pauses, his fingers suddenly at her side. “You were singing.”

Emma hums. “Must have been really happy.”

“We were,” he affirms. Killian takes a deep, sleepy breath. “We are.”

She smiles in the moment before she feels the drag of sleep coming for her. “We are.”


	35. a new adventure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: daddy killian with pregnant emma

**a new adventure**

She’s pregnant enough that her bump is a defined curve against her frame. The morning sickness has stopped, for now, and instead she’s been blessed with a fun variety of wonderful surprises.

Killian, to no surprise, is an excellent helper. He makes sure she’s comfortable at all times and reminds her when she forgets to take her prenatal vitamins. He massages her feet and shoulders and he helps her get into her pants when they’re right on the edge of being wearable.

He’s the perfect image of a man preparing for fatherhood, though she hasn’t seen him panic yet, or begin to doubt himself.

Emma sits up in bed, her tank top keeping her cool while her hair is tossed up into a bun on her head. It’s the middle of the summer and she blames nobody for this, because being pregnant is a dream she never thought she wanted and now that she is, she wouldn’t take it back for anything.

But she’s hot and tired and easily irritated- mostly because her father keeps coddling her at work, but she’s not complaining because she can sit in the air conditioned station while he handles the street work.

Her fingers page through a novel while she listens to Killian do the same, except he’s actually reading. She lost focus a while ago, instead letting her mind drift onto thoughts regarding the baby’s nursery and how she wants to go shopping soon.

Killian’s attentiveness to whatever he’s reading is endearing as ever. She’s always loved seeing him read, because he’s so calm when he does.

Emma settles her book down onto the nightstand and plays with the rings adorning her left hand while she stares at her husband and smiles gently at him.

“What are you reading?” Emma wonders before she turns to him fully. She settles her hand over her bump and smooths a circle into it.

Killian glances up at her and arches an eyebrow. “It’s a…” He pauses, hesitating on a sigh. His eyebrow stays playfully arched, as if he’s worried she’ll say something about what he’s going to tell her. “Parenting book.”

Emma smiles softly and her heart swells.

He turns back to read, those reading glasses she’d forced him to get when he started squinting and complaining about headaches perched upon the end of his nose.

She bites down on her lower lip and watches him flip the page, desperately interested in what the book has to say.

This man has been alive for hundreds of years, has seen life and death, has battled his demons internally and externally, and yet, he finds the words in this book important enough that he’ll devote time to it.

“What’s it saying?” Emma wonders, leaning back against her pillows while her fingers clasp together over her belly.

Killian looks up at her over the rim of his reading glasses and then suddenly shuts the book before peeling off his glasses. He turns toward her, his blunted wrist settled between them. He meets her eyes and his fingers dance their way up onto her middle so he’s touching the place where the baby hides.

“Nothing very important,” he finally tells her. His attention goes to her belly and he traces wild lines over her belly button.

“No?” Emma digs. She reaches up to thread her fingers into his hair, dragging it away from his face in a soothing manner. “You usually have a lot to report back when you’re reading.”

Killian scoffs. “That was one time. When Henry requested that I read Harry Potter.”

Emma laughs. “Yeah.” They stare at one another for a few quiet moments and Emma sighs heavily. “I notice, you know. You’ve been reading a lot more than usual. There’s a stack of the books in your drawer.”

Killian smiles timidly. He reaches up to scratch behind his ear and licks his lips. “Ah… yes. I’ve been a bit nervous, I suppose. Of all of the things I’ve done in my life, becoming a parent has never been one of them. At least… not properly, from the start.”

Emma can see the genuine worry resting behind his gaze and when he sits up straight, he stares forward and takes his hand through his hair.

While she should feel that same anxiety bubbling up inside of her, Emma doesn’t. In fact, she finds peace.

“Me either,” Emma murmurs.

Killian jerks his attention back to her and immediately groans softly. “Oh, Swan… I’m sorry. I- I’ve been so selfish. I didn’t even think-”

“It’s okay,” Emma promises him. She reaches up to rub his back and she withdraws when he lies back again.

Her husband turns toward her and studies the curve of her belly with his large hand and examining eyes.

“I just… I’ve always wanted to be a father, I suppose, deep down. But I didn’t have a father of my own for much of my life. It was always just Liam.”

Like this, he’s more childlike than she’s ever seen him. Timid and quiet, his voice trembling just slightly as he confesses his fears to her by the warm glow of their lamp light.

“Henry, as much as I love him, isn’t my son and he and I will never share that bond I’ll share with-” he struggles with his words and finds her eyes. An almost excited smile spreads on his lips, confidence suddenly spreading the lines by his eyes happily. “With our children.”

He’s still worried, despite the joy he has thinking of what their future family will look like. She can understand his feelings, having felt them herself and dealt with them in private earlier on in the pregnancy.

Emma smiles at his words and turns onto her side so she’s facing him. She curls her legs up against his and presses her forehead into his, but keeps her eyes on him.

“Do you remember what we said on our wedding day?” Emma asks.

Killian smirks slightly. “We said a good deal on our wedding day, love, you’ll have to be more specific.”

Emma rolls her eyes, smiling regardless. “We said we’d spend the rest of our time sharing this adventure called life, from the highs to the lows, and we said we’d do it as we always have: together.”

She searches his eyes and draws his hand up to her belly.

“This is just one adventure we’re going to face together. That’s why I’m not scared out of my mind like I really should be. Because I know I have the best teammate ever to help me through it. I have you.” Emma smiles hopefully at her husband and his smile slowly mirrors hers. “And you have me. We can do it together. We’re probably not going to be the best at it right away, but we’ll learn.”

Killian nods. “Aye, love. We will.”


	36. "Is that my shirt?"

It’s soft. Surprisingly soft. 

As she slips it on over her head, she curls her toes and smiles happily to herself. She grabs her hair and shakes it loose around her shoulders before she sneaks out of the quiet bedroom and down the hall for the stairs.

She’s going to make breakfast and she’s going to bring it up to her snoozing husband and share it in bed. Hopefully. Most mornings, he wakes up either very much before her or just shortly after, never one to allow himself to spend too long without her in his company.

Emma decides on pancakes, because it’s Saturday and she can, and after she gets a few stacked up onto a plate, her husband enters the room.

“Is that my shirt?” he asks.

A smile fills her lips and she shrugs as her teeth caress her lip. “It’s soft and it fits me better than my clothes do right now. Sorry?”

Killian shakes his head as he goes up to her. He wraps his arms around her from behind and holds her close, lips pressed against the shell of her ear.

“It’s alright,” he murmurs. “I think you look absolutely ravishing.”

She chuckles, bumping her head into his while she flips a pancake. “Pancakes okay?”

“Of course.” Killian kisses her cheek and slips his fingers against her small bump, freshly discovered a few days ago. They’re not over it yet. It’s still so new and exciting.

He turns her around and she giggles into his kiss, hands sliding up his chest and onto his shoulders. When they part, she licks her lips and bounces on her toes.

“You can keep my shirt on today if it fits you best.” He offers.

“Oh?” Emma teases. “I wasn’t planning on going anywhere, so I think that’s a pretty good solution.”

His face goes a little red and his jaw falls slack as Emma turns around to finish making breakfast.

“Bloody hell, love, be careful with what you say.”


	37. "Sorry, were you sleeping?"

“Killian?”

He jerks awake, eyes widening as he sucks in a harsh breath. He manages to smile at his wife as he slides his hand down from where he’d rested it over his stomach and down onto the bed.

“Sorry, were you sleeping?” she asks, an adorable scrunch in her nose.

She’s wearing her reading glasses and her hair is a riotous mess, draped around her shoulders. She’s reading a book, or she was. Last he remembers, she was talking about her mother, but that was a little while ago, based on the look on her face.

“No, no,” he shakes his head in an attempt to soothe things over. “Just closed my eyes for but a moment, love. You were saying your mum wants to have a party next weekend and you weren’t sure if you want to because the weather calls for rain.”

His wife peels back a soft smile as she leans her cheek against their headboard. 

“How long have you been off that topic?” he asks, slightly timid.

Emma laughs once and slips the book down onto her night table. She returns to that position, facing him again.

“It doesn’t matter,” she promises him. “It wasn’t important.”

Emma leans over to kiss him and after she leans away, she shuts the light off and slips down into bed.

Killian, who had been sitting up just slightly, slides down with her and sighs contentedly the moment his back hits the mattress.

“You’re so tired.” Emma says. She slips her hand against his chest and settles her ear over his heart.

“Hm.” Killian murmurs as he closes his eyes. He wraps his arm around her and he begins to fall, but jerks himself out of it just enough. “Been working hard.”

Emma laughs, a sound that makes him crack the slightest smile. “Killian, you had a quiet day on your ship.”

He peels an eye open just to look at her and it makes her laugh again. “It’s hard work, Swan. You were there.”

Emma gives him a fond smile as his eyes fall closed again. “I know.” For a moment, they lie there in silence. He feels her fingertips drag against his chest, creating shapes and figures. “I think it’s just insomnia.”

“Hmm.” Killian clears his throat and forces his eyes open. “I can stay up with you. Would you like to talk? Watch a movie?”

Emma’s fingers stop moving. She props herself up on his chest and shakes her head minutely. “No, Killian, you sleep. It’s fine. It’s like two in the morning. You’ve stayed up way too late already.”

“Nothing is too much for you.”

He’s half-delirious, but he thinks he can manage.

He’s been alive hundreds of years and he’s seen plenty of sleepless nights. He’s bloody Captain Hook, after all. He should be able to fight off sleep tonight if it means helping keep his wife company.

“Killian?” her voice is soft, her fingers pressed against his arm as she shakes him awake.

“Hmm?” Killian sucks in a breath and with a shock, he sits up. “I only just closed my eyes for a moment.”

Emma laughs.

He realizes then that he’d slept the night away and it’s now morning. Emma’s up for the day, and she has a tray of breakfast waiting for him.

Killian’s heart sinks and he shakes his head as he scrubs his hand over his face. “Bloody hell, love, I’m sorry-”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Emma promises. She smiles as she leans over to kiss him softly. “I made you breakfast.”

“Did you sleep at all?” he asks, feeling more guilt than anything.

“Right after you fell asleep, I did too.”

Relief washes over him in a wave and he manages a smile and a nod. “That’s good.”

“Hmm.” Emma bites on her lip and gestures to the breakfast she’d prepared. “Hungry?”

Pancakes and coffee sit hot and fresh, but a piece of plastic is what draws his attention on the tray.

He doesn’t know what it is until he’s holding it in his hand and as soon as he knows what it is, a ton of bricks drop to his stomach.

“Emma?” 

She has a soft smile on her face, a slight hesitancy in it. “Hope you’re ready for some more sleepless nights with me because we’re having a baby.”

Killian can’t help but laugh happily, tears gathering in his eyes at the news. “I will gladly bear that burden with you, love.”


	38. "I need you though."

He’s soft, warm, and particularly cuddly in the mornings. And so is she. 

He has his legs tangled up with hers while his arms are wrapped around her middle. His head rests between her breasts and her fingers massage his scalp while they doze in the mid-morning glow of the day.

It’s been awhile since they’ve had time like this, to just _rest_ and _be_. 

Restlessly, he shifts his feet against the mattress and she can tell that he wants to move away from her, with how he cranes his head up to look at her.

Emma grumbles at the action and holds him closer to her, resulting in a warm burst of happy laughter.

“Darling, as nice as this is, I’ve got to go to the bathroom,” he admits.

She sighs, allowing him to move onto his back before she curls into him, trapping him with her arms and legs. “Don’t go. You’re warm.”

Her husband’s arm goes around her and he kisses her forehead. “Emma-” he protests weakly. “I need to get up.”

“I need you though,” she murmurs in response.

Killian sighs heavily. He rubs her arm swiftly and kisses her head again. “I think you’ll be alright for a minute, darling.”

“If you get up, I’ll get up, and the day will start and I’m not ready.” She presses her chin against his chest and stares at him pleadingly. “Just for a few more minutes?”

She can tell it pains him, but he nods and she rests against him warmly again.

“I love you too much to deny your wishes, my wife.”

Emma can’t help but smile, cuddling closer. “I know.”


	39. "I don't want you."

She’s in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up while she cleans the dishes. Under her breath, she hums a song she’d heard on the radio earlier that day. Bubbles in the sink crawl up her arm a little and she sighs, glancing out the window at the neighbor’s house.

“Emma?” Killian calls out. The front door closes in his wake and she turns in time to see her husband approach her with a wild grin on his face. He looks grimy, as if he’d been out on his boat all day, which is exactly what he’s been up to.

“Hi,” Emma smiles, happy to see him. “How was it? Did my dad have fun?”

Killian’s eyebrows dance and he hums. “Aye. We may’ve had a little too much to drink, but it was an all-around fun time.”

He stops beside her, leaning in for a kiss hello, but instead Emma groans and pulls away.

“What?” Killian asks, clearly affronted by her reaction to him. “It’s been a day since we’ve seen each other, love. I’ve missed you.”

“You reek!” Emma buries her face in her elbow and turns off the sink water. She steps away from her husband and grimaces at even the memory of the scent.

To be fair, it’s probably because she’s pregnant. She’s been oversensitive for a few weeks now and even nice smells turn her off sometimes.

“ _What_?” Killian laughs. He sniffs himself, then shakes his head. “Darling, I don’t smell _that_ bad.”

“Yeah, you do,” Emma says. “You smell like… you’ve been fishing and drinking and-”

“Well, that’s appropriate,” he remarks, lifting an eyebrow. He pauses, staring at her as if she’ll cave and allow him to stay around her. He huffs a sigh. “I suppose I’ll go have a shower… and then I’ll finally get to be around my _glowing_ , _beautiful_ , _amazing_ wife for the first time all day.”

His flattery makes her fight a smile, rolling her eyes as she tilts her head to the side. She has to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from saying too much.

“Are you trying to get me to throw up on you?” she asks, finally cracking a smile. “Because I will.”

Suddenly, she’s being pressed against the counter and she’s squirming, laughing as her husband’s warm hands press against her belly and then hips.

Killian leans in and nearly kisses her, but she turns away just in time.

“Sorry, but…” Emma sighs. “I don’t want you. Not if you smell like this. Go have a shower.”

Killian sighs playfully. He takes a few steps back and lifts his eyebrows seductively as he bites down on his lip. It’s when he winks at her that her stomach swoops low.

Emma laughs. “I love you.”

“Love you too.”


End file.
